Sikh Union, Swamibapa off to flying starts in NPCA League

Sikh Union Cricket Club A celebrated a strong start to the T20 season with a thrilling 41-run victory over defending champions Stray Lions Cricket Club A in the Nairobi Provincial Cricket Association (NPCA) T20 Super Division.

The match, held on the opening day of the tournament on Sunday, saw Sikh Union avenge last season’s final loss to the Lions.

Winning the toss, Sikh Union elected to bat first, setting a target of 155 runs for the loss of nine wickets in 20 overs. In response, Stray Lions managed 114 runs, losing all ten wickets in 18 overs.

Sikh Union skipper Sukhdeep Singh praised his team for a solid start to the season:

“Fabulous job by the team. A great start to the season, I must admit, and we are glad to have our team play as a unit. We are glad to have our young team giving their level best, and the energy was amazing at the ground. For this season, we will rely a lot on our performers from last season—Shubham Patel, Jasraj Kundi, and Satish Hirani. We have decided to give a few young guys a chance and see how it can help them develop themselves in the coming future.”

Shubham Patel contributed 19 runs off 24 balls before being caught by Hiren Varaiya off James Ngoche’s bowling. Jasraj Kundi and OM Santosh Joshi built a key partnership, scoring 47 runs off 30 balls and 32 runs off 23 balls, respectively.

For Stray Lions, Aman Gandhi (21), Simon Ssesazi (32), and Gerald Mwendwa (20) were the only players to reach double figures. Mwendwa also impressed with two wickets in four overs, conceding 31 runs. James Ngoche and Emmanuel Bundi claimed two wickets each, with Ngoche conceding 42 runs in four overs and Bundi giving away 17 runs in two overs.

At Nairobi Jaffrey’s Sports Club, Swamibapa Cricket Club A, led by skipper Rushabh Patel, began their T20 title campaign with a dominant seven-wicket win over newcomers Ngara Sports Club A.

Ngara, batting first, set a modest target of 74 runs after losing all ten wickets in 18 overs. Swamibapa’s Rushabh Patel scored 22 runs off 14 balls, while Sachin Gill, recently signed from Ruaraka A, smashed 35 runs off 18 balls. Mehul Patel contributed 19 runs off 27 balls to guide Swamibapa to victory.

Kenya international Vraj Patel was instrumental in dismantling Ngara’s batting lineup, taking four wickets in four overs while conceding just 14 runs. Jignesh Hirani added two wickets, giving away 12 runs in three overs, while Sachin Gill claimed two wickets for 12 runs in three overs.

Following the first round of matches, Swamibapa A leads the league standings with four points and a superior run rate. They are followed by Kanbis Sports Club A, Sir Ali Muslims Club A, Shree Cutchi Leva Patel Samaj A, and Sikh Union Cricket Club A in the top four positions, respectively.