Given the tight nature of Nairobi Provincial Cricket Association (NPCA) 50-Overs Super League title race this season, it is not hard to fathom out a scenario where the top four would take their spirited campaigns down the homestretch.
Last weekend, Kanbis A dislodged longtime leaders Swamibapa A from the top of the table after the latter suffered a 105-run loss to champions Ruaraka A.
Ruaraka A have a bye this weekend but are refusing to pile pressure on themselves prior to their return to action on September 15 away to Kanbis A.
Ruaraka Captain Nitish Hirani commented: “We have a bye, so no action for my boys this weekend. Honestly, we are taking a rest this week and will resume training next Tuesday. But when we are back, we will just look into the basics, by and large.”
Redemption Time
The Rushabh Patel led Swamibapa A will be looking to make amends against Nairobi Gymkhana A at their Nairobi Jaffrey’s home turf on Sunday while Kenya Kongonis A will host Sir Ali A at their Nairobi Club backyard.
The Swamis dipped to third spot following their loss to the champions, but on paper, they start favorites against fifth-placed Gymkhana. It was a devastating defeat that has almost put them out of the title race.
They don’t only need to win on Sunday but win with a big margin to improve their net-run rate which might come into play at the end of the season to determine the final position of the teams.
Ruaraka and Swamis are tied on 28 apiece with the former savoring a slight advantage on Net Run Rate (NRR). Kanbis occupy the summit on 32 but have a match at hand.
Seventh placed Shree Cutch Leva Patel Samaj (SCLPS YL A) will host Kanbis A on Sunday at Samaj Stadium in Nairobi West.
Kanbis A sipper Dhiren Gondaria says his boys are taking each match at a time:
“As I always say, in cricket anyone can be beaten, at any given time.
My team will not relax until we are done with our mission to recapture this coveted title.’
Dhiren continued: “We witnessed some scintillating play from the players, all round. As a team, we always concentrate on our game plans. The issue about our opponent’s performance doesn't really matter to us for now, as long as we keep on the winning spirit all the way.”
Relegation Woes
Elsewhere, the much-revamped Sikh Union A side will play host to tailenders Stray Lions A at Sikh Union Club Nairobi.
And if what was witnessed last weekend in their high-scoring loss to Kanbis and considering relegation quagmire, Stray Lions will indeed fight like “wounded lions”.
The Lions have only won one match so far against Sikh Union when both met in the first half of the 50-overs season on July 21.
And Stray Lions has so far amassed a paltry 6 points from 9 outings contrary to all expectations. But the reigning T20 Champions are engaging in a cautious blend of hope and pragmatism.
The other bottom teams Sir Ali A, Samaj A and Kenya Kongonis A are not safe either, and will be fighting tooth and nail to evade the relegation axe in the coming weeks.
Last year saw Obuya Academy A relegated to Division One while Kongonis got promoted to the top tier Super division.
Stray Lions had a perfect start to their match against Kanbis A in which they smacked an impressive 306 for 6 in 50.0 overs. But the Lions had their campaign thwarted by poor fielding, which handed Kanbis a 4-wicket advantage with 308 for 6 in 46.2 overs.
Meanwhile, Sikh Union skipper Sukhdeep Singh is heaping praise on the outstanding performance from their professional player Ali Bhatt.
“He’s (Bhatt) an exceptional batsman who adds so much value to the team. We as Sikh Union told ourselves that we will take a game as it comes and not think too ahead of ourselves.
“And we are enjoying doing that and as a group we have jelled better than ever with the overseas and the local boys. The environment in the team is to fight and win and it’s amazing as everyone is enjoying their cricket,” explained Sukhdeep.
SUPER DIVISION
Swamibapa A VS Nbi Gymkhana A (Nbi Jaffrey’s) Kongonis A VS Sir Ali A (Nbi Club)
SCLPS YL A VS Kanbis A (SCLPS)
Sikh Union A VS Stray Lions A (Sikh Union)
SUPER LEAGUE POINTS AFTER WEEK 11
- KANBIS SC A 32
- RUARAKA SC A 28
- SWAMIBAPA A 28
- SIKH UNION A 24
- NRB GYMKHANA 16
- SIR ALI MUSLIM CLUBA 10
- SCLPS YL A 10
- KENYA KONGONIS A 10
- STRAY LIONS 6
