Cricket: Ruaraka's crowning moment in over a decade
Ruaraka Sports Club's Pushkar Sharma (right) plays a shot away from Stray Lions A wicketkeeper Irfan Karim during their Nairobi Provincial Cricket Association 50 Overs Super League match on September 3, 2023 at Ruaraka Sports Club.
What you need to know:
- In the other matches lined-up for Sunday, fifth-placed Shree Cutchi Leva Patel Samaj (SCLPS) “A” will host seventh-placed Nairobi Gymkhana “A”, while bottom-placed Obuya Academy “A” will clash with fourth-placed Swamibapa Cricket Club “A” at Jaffery Sports Club.
- Swamibapa and SCLPS have 28 and 20 points respectively while Nairobi Gymkhana and Obuya have all amassed eight points each.
Ruaraka Sports Club “A” will on Sunday be crowned 2023 Nairobi Provincial Cricket Association (NPCA) Super Division 50 Overs League champions if they beat Sikh Union Cricket Club “A” away.
The match will be played at Sikh Union Cricket Club ground.
Heavyweights Kanbis Sports Club “A” and Stray Lions Cricket Club “A”, who face-off at Eastleigh School, also on Sunday, will be hoping Ruaraka falter so that the winner of their clash is crowned champions.
Heading into the final matches of this campaign that attracted eight teams, Ruaraka top the standings with 44 points (net run rate of 2.071), while Kanbis and Stray Lions are joint second with 40 points. But Kanbis are ranked ahead thanks to a superior net run rate of 2.110 against Stray Lions’ 1.675.
Should Sikh Union upset Ruaraka, the league’s winner will then be decided using net run rate. This is because Ruaraka will have tied on 44 points with the winner in the match between Kanbis and Stray Lions.
Ruaraka have not won the title in over a decade and coach Francis Otieno is confident that they will pop the champagne on Sunday after the long wait.
Ruaraka could have clinched the title last weekend had they defeated hosts Kanbis. They lost by 52 runs.
“We must win tomorrow (Sunday). The title is ours,” vowed Otieno, adding that all his players will be available for selection in the match.
In their first leg meeting held on August 6, Ruaraka floored Sikh Union by nine wickets. Yet Sikh Union’s coach Josphat Irungu believes they can spoil Ruaraka’s party, despite missing their two professional players Aumkar Nanda and Rohit Sahu.
Irungu said the duo is back in India.
“We can beat them. I assure you that the local boys will play some decent cricket in the match,” he said. Sikh Union are sixth on the log with 16 points.
In the other matches lined-up for Sunday, fifth-placed Shree Cutchi Leva Patel Samaj (SCLPS) “A” will host seventh-placed Nairobi Gymkhana “A”, while bottom-placed Obuya Academy “A” will clash with fourth-placed Swamibapa Cricket Club “A” at Jaffery Sports Club.
Swamibapa and SCLPS have 28 and 20 points respectively while Nairobi Gymkhana and Obuya have all amassed eight points each.
