NPCA League: Champions Swamibapa beaten as 2024 season bowls off

Shree Cutchi Leva Patel Samaj (SCLPS) stunned defending champions Swamibapa A as the 2024 Nairobi Provincial Cricket Association (NPCA) Super Division Twenty20 League bowled off on Sunday across various venues.

At Nairobi Jaffery Sports Club, Cutchi Leva handed holders Swamibapa “A” a humiliating six-wicket defeat.

All-rounder left-arm bowler Lucas Ndandason and Raj Bhudia were the star players for the well-oiled Cutchi Leva outfit.

Following some exhilarating displays on the crease, Ndandason emerged as the match’s top scorer with 54 runs from 40 balls with three sixes and four fours, with teammate Bhudia taking four wickets and giving away 42 runs from four overs.

Swamibapa won the toss and elected to bat first scoring 147 for eight in 20.0 overs. Cutch Leva, on the other hand, managed 154 for four in 19.3 overs to carry the day.

Swamibapa batsman Maurice Ouma was the top runs scorer for his side with 36 runs from 26 balls to finish as the third top scorer of the match behind Cutchi Leva’s Niraj Harji Patel with 39 runs from 31 balls.

At Eastleigh High School grounds, Kanbis batsman Sachin Bhudiya scored 41 runs from 23 balls and Pushpak Kerai hit 35 runs from 30 balls to guide the hosts to a 71-run win over Nairobi Gymkhana by 71 runs.

Kanbis won the toss and opted to bat setting a target of 165 runs in 20.0 overs, while Nairobi Gymkhana managed 94 runs all out in 16.3 overs.

Former Kenya international Thomas Odoyo was the opening batsman for Gymkhana and managed to score three runs from eight balls before he was set back to the pavilion by Kanbis Pushpak Kerai. Stian Smith was Gymkhana’s top scorer with 20 runs.

Back at Nairobi Jaffery Sports Club, Stray Lions A decimated Sikh Union A by nine wickets. Stray Lions won the toss and opted to bat, setting a target of 144 runs for the loss of a wicket in 17.3 overs in the first inning, while Sikh Union scored 142 runs for the loss of seven wickets in 20.0 overs. 

Stray Lions Aman Gandhi and Irfan Karim were the match's top scorers after teammate Shubham Jadhav was stumped by Sikh Union wicketkeeper Sukhdeep Singh for one run in the first over.

Aman took the match honours with 71 runs out of 57 balls with five fours and two sixers supported by Irfan Karim’s 68 runs from 45 balls. Sikh Union’s star player was Jasraj Kundi with 42 runs to his name.

Obuya B sparkle

In Division Two, Obuya Cricket Academy B defeated Sikh Union Development by four wickets, while An-nadil Jamaly A team beat Stray Leopards A by three wickets.

In Division One, Kongonis Cricket Club A defeated Swamibapa B by 38 runs at Nairobi Club.

Swamibapa B won the toss and elected to field first scoring 78 for 8 in 20.0 overs. In reply, Kongonis hit 116 for 9 in 20.0 overs to carry the day.

Festus Agesa was the toast of Kongonis with five wickets to his name, while teammate Jitendra Singh Gariya scored 36 runs.

Other scores for Kongonis came from Nirav Bhudia (22) and skipper Thomas Ojijo (20).