In a disappointing turn of events, Ruaraka A’s struggles in the Nairobi County Cricket Association T20 (NCCA T20) League continued unabated this weekend, as they suffered back-to-back losses to Stray Lions A and Swamibapa A.
The consecutive defeats have left the reigning 50-Overs Champions (Ruaraka) languishing at the bottom of the Super Division T20 League table, casting doubt on their title chances in the tournament, which started in January.
Swamibapa’s double victory this weekend means they ascend to the summit with 12 points and remain the only unbeaten side in the tournament so far, dislodging Sir Ali Muslim Club A, who now dip to second with 10 points.
Both Swamibapa and Sir Ali were tied on 8 points the previous weekend, though the latter enjoyed an edge on Net Run Rate (NRR).
On Saturday, Sir Ali Muslim Club A Team beat Cutchi Leva by 3 wickets but got a bye on Sunday, meaning they couldn’t score more points.
Lions unleashed fury
Former one-time champions Stray Lions “A” vented their spleen on Ruaraka, thumping them by 121 runs on Sunday, thus posting a mammoth 247 runs for 1 wicket at Peponi School.
The Lions’ openers, Aman Gandhi and Irfan Karim, put on a sterling show, delivering double centuries in the process.
Gandhi scored 104 off 59 balls, while Karim smacked 104 off 49 balls, hitting 9 boundaries and 9 sixes.
Their explosive batting set the tone for Stray Lions A’s dominant performance, as Ruaraka A’s bowlers struggled to contain them.
In response, Ruaraka A were restricted to 126 runs for 6 wickets in the allotted 20.0 overs, handing the Lions a deserved 121-run advantage at their Peponi School backyard.
–Swamibapa Rolls Over Ruaraka, Wins by 10 Wickets–
Defending champions Swamibapa A, skippered by Sachin Gill, made it a flawless weekend for themselves, cruising to a scintillating 10-wicket win over Ruaraka A on Saturday at Jamhuri High School Ground.
After winning the toss and electing to bat first, Ruaraka A could only manage 108 for 5 in 20.0 overs. In reply, Swamibapa A sealed the win with 109 for no wicket in just 13.3 overs.
The Swamis got the job done only with their opening pair of Dhwanil Patel (46 off 35 balls) and Pankaj Sanghani (61 off 44 balls).
On Sunday, Swamibapa beat Shree Cutchi Leva Patel Samaj (SCLPS A) by 68 runs at Nairobi SCLPS Stadium.
Swamibapa won the toss and elected to bat first and were bowled out for 144 runs in 19.5 overs, but their bowlers did enough to restrict Ruaraka A to 76 runs for 9 wickets in 11.4 overs.
Gill also took 2 wickets, and his all-round performance earned him the player-of-the-match accolade.
Swamibapa A’s openers, Dhwanil (5 off 5 balls) and Sanghani (dismissed for a duck), got off to a shaky start against Cutchi Leva, but Captain Gill’s 42 off 25 balls helped his team recover effectively.
Jignesh Hirani (21 off 21 balls) and Harendra Kerai (27 off 16) also made worthy contributions for Swamibapa, who now sit at the apex of the competition with a two-point advantage over Sir Ali.
In other matches, Kanbis A suffered a heartbreaking 3-run defeat to hosts Sikh Union A, despite putting up a spirited fight.
Sikh Union A’s steady batting and Kanbis A’s late collapse sealed the win for Sikh Union A.
Sikh Union skipper Sukhdeep Sigh was all smiles: “We had a bye on Saturday, but coming into Sunday, the game against Kanbis, we knew it wasn’t going to be an easy game. It was a match we had to win to give ourselves a chance to get in the top 4. We’ve kept our hopes alive, and I’m sure this win has given us confidence in the future games left in this T20 League.”
“Jasraj Kundi was fabulous today (Sunday) with both the bat and ball, as well as fielding, and Yug Patel, our youngster, bowling well too – a great collective win for the unit, I must admit,” highlighted Sukhdeep.
Still on Sunday, Ngara SC won by 6 wickets against Nairobi Gymkhana A, thanks to a solid batting performance by Shivam Dewadi, who smacked a cool 66 off 50 balls, made up of 6 boundaries and one six. Neel Doshi of Gymkhana A was the match’s best bowler.
Sir Ali Muslim Club A won by 3 wickets against SCLPS YL A. On Saturday, Nairobi Gymkhana A also won by 9 wickets against Stray Lions A.
The results have shuffled the standings, with Swamibapa A resuming their lead in the Super Division table. Sir Ali Muslim Club A and Stray Lions A are close behind, while Ruaraka A remains at the bottom with no points, struggling to find their footing in the tournament.
The NCCA T20 League is heating up, with several teams vying for the top spot. As the tournament progresses, Ruaraka A will need to pick up their game if they hope to avoid an unfavourable bottom position.
SUPER DIVISION POINTS TABLE
1. Swamibapa A (NRR 1.341) 12 POINTS W-W-W-W-W
2. Sir Ali M.C. A. (NRR 1.311) 10 POINTS L-W-W-W-W
3. Stray Lions A (NRR 0.601) 8 POINTS W-L-W-L-W
4. Kanbis A Team (NRR 2.593) 7 POINTS W-W-L-W-L
5. Nbi Gymkhana A (NRR 1.119) 7 POINTS W-W-L-W-L
6. Sikh Union A (NRR 1.238) 6 POINTS W-L-W-L-W
7. SCLPS YL A (NRR-0.305) 4 POINTS L-L-W-L-L
8. Ngara S.C. A. (NRR 2.858) 2 POINTS L-L-L-L-W
9. Ruaraka A (NRR -5.009) 0 POINTS L-L-L-L-L
NCCA SUPER DIVISION T20 LEAGUE RESULTS – 08-FEB-26
SCLPS GROUND: Swamibapa A Team 144/10 (19.5ov), SCLPS YL A Team 76/9 (11.4ov); Swamibapa A Team won by 68 runs
PEPONI SCHOOL: Stray Lions A Team 247/1 (20.0ov); Ruaraka A Team 126/6 (20.0ov). Stray Lions won by 121 Runs
SIKH UNION CLUB: Sikh Union A 184/3 (20.0ov); Kanbis A Team 181/6 (20.0ov). Sikh Union A won by 3 runs
NGARA SC: Nairobi Gymkhana A 146/4 (20.0); Ngara A 150/4 (18.3). Ngara won by 6 wickets
NCCA SUPER DIVISION T20 LEAGUE RESULTS – 07-FEB-26
EASTLEIGH GROUND: Ngara Sports Club A Team 157/9 (20.0). Kanbis A Team 160/3 (12.2), Kanbis A Team won by 7 wickets
NAIROBI JAFFERY SPORTS CLUB: SCLPS YL A Team 143/8 (20.0), Sir Ali Muslim Club A Team 147/7 (17.5). Sir Ali Muslim Club A Team won by 3 wickets
NAIROBI GYMKHANA: Stray Lions A Team 109/10 (17.3), Nairobi Gymkhana A Team 114/1 (14.0). Nairobi Gymkhana A Team won by 9 wickets
JAMHURI HIGH SCHOOL: Ruaraka A Team 108/5 (20.0), Swamibapa A Team 109/0 (13.3). Swamibapa A Team won by 10 wickets
