NPCA T20 League: Kanbis hit Stray Lions to stay top
Kanbis captain Dhiren Gondaria (centre) leads his teammates in celebrating their victory against Stray Lions during their Nairobi Provincial Cricket Association (NPCA) T20 Super League match at Eastleigh High School on February 5, 2023.
What you need to know:
- Gondaria and Patel, who opened for Kanbis, were bowled-out by Mwendwa and Ngoche in the third and sixth overs respectively.
- All-rounder Jignesh Kerai maintained his discipline to wrap up the match
- with Vinod Rabadia for unbeaten 56 runs and seven runs respectively.
- Kanbis had earlier lost Sachin Bhudia 13, Rakep Patel 0, Nelson Odhiambo 10.
Champions Kanbis Sports Club “A” at the weekend hammered Stray Lions Cricket Club “A’” by five wickets at Eastleigh High School to extend their winning streak in the Nairobi Provincial Cricket Association (NPCA) T20 Super League.
Kanbis overcame Stray Lions’ first innings target of 151 runs for loss of nine wickets in 20.0 overs within 18.0 overs with a score of 154 runs for the loss of five wickets.
It was Kanbis fifth win in five matches moving them to 20 points at the top, same as on-form Sir Ali Muslim Club.
Sir Ali, who have also won all their five matches, have a lower run rate compared to Kanbis.
Stray Lions won the toss and elected to bat first through captain Krishna Katukala.
Under the scorching sun, the visitors struggled to settle on the crease, losing opener Francis Mutua in the first over 1.5 overs with just two runs to his name.
Stray Lions’ former captain Shem Ngoche tried to build a strong partnership with Katukala, muscling four quick boundaries and a single.
But his innings came to an end in the 2.4 over after he misjudged Kanbis’s bowler Emmanuel Bundi’s slow ball to be bowled-out for 17 runs off nine balls.
With Stray Lions’ Vraj Patel unsettled on the crease, Kanbis’s wicket-keeper Jignesh Kerai caught him off Sachin Bhudia bowling. Vraj Patel delivered three runs from six balls.
Katukua followed to the pavilion with 12 runs from nine balls after being bowled out by Patel Mikunj.
The partnership of Vaibhav Naresh and Gerald Mwendwa gave Kanbis’ captain Dhiren Gondaria headache, forcing him to rotate bowlers after watching a nine (fours) and a six from the partnership to take the score to take the score to 99 runs on the board.
Gerald Mwendwa, who hit 22, was bowled by Mikunj Pindolia and Naresh was caught for 32 runs by Rakep Patel off Pushpak Kerai bowling.
The hosts celebrated Naresh's dismissal widely.
“Our plan was to restrict them to avoid any strong partnership,” said Gondaria.
“We have very good all-rounders and we know our ground very well so we capitalised on that.”
After Jignesh Kerai’s 56, Gondaria scored Kanbis most runs at 37, while Narendra Patel slammed 23.
Gondaria and Patel, who opened for Kanbis, were bowled-out by Mwendwa and Ngoche in the third and sixth overs respectively.
All-rounder Jignesh Kerai maintained his discipline to wrap up the match
with Vinod Rabadia for unbeaten 56 runs and seven runs respectively.
Kanbis had earlier lost Sachin Bhudia 13, Rakep Patel 0, Nelson Odhiambo 10.
