AfricaPress-Tanzania: UPANGA Sports Club’s B team have made successfull return to action in domestic cricket, lifting this season’s Dar es Salaam Cricket (DC) T20 Cup Division B’s top honour with a four-wicket win over Lions Youths in the final, which took place at Annadil Burhani oval last weekend.
Lions Youths, consisting of junior players groomed by the Lions Cricket Club, batted first in the clash, notching 107 runs for the loss of nine wickets in 20 overs.
Top order batsman, Abubakar Selemani, had the best innings given he ended two runs short of a half century, which consisted of eight fours.
His exploits were instrumental in the side’s ability to end the innings with the respectable score.
Selemani, slotted in at number three, made up for a somewhat frustrating outing the outfit’s opener Faisal Gothey experienced.
Gothey failed to make his presence felt, making his way back to the pavilion in the very first over, as he was caught by Upanga SC B outfit’s Himanshu Darji from Rinkesh Patel bowling.
Yusuf Abdulhaleem, who opened the innings with Gothey, executed several good knocks and chipped in with 18 runs which included a four.
The side’s remining promising players were relatively below par, given they could not last long at the crease.
Adil Ayub formed a solid stand with Amaan Sameer to close the innings with bat in hand, notching eight runs not out and one run not out respectively.
Darji mercilessly tormented Lions Youths’ batting unit, ending his spell with three wickets and leaking 10 runs in four overs.
Skipper Zahir Patel chipped in with notable contribution, as he took two wickets and leaked seven runs in three overs.
Needing 108 runs to post victory, Upanga SC B team had to knuckle down to the victory, notching 109 runs for six wickets in 18 overs.
Skipper Zahir, Manoj Thakkar, Hardik Patel and Sadaf Saifee catapulted their squad to the win with no nonsense batting displays.
They got off to a good start, given Thakkar, who opened the innings, posted 15 runs.
Fellow opener Saifee was a bit more aggressive, as he notched 25 runs.
They were to some extent pegged back with top order batsman Amiri Sadiki’s early exit, with the perfromer posting six runs.
Zahir, nevertheless, saw to it they are in control of the innings, as well as confidently pushing for the victory, posting 18 runs.
Much as Shivan Kamania could not last long at the crease, as he was dismissed with five runs to his name, they were unpertubed by the performer’s early exit.
Rinkesh Patel and Himanshu Darji smoothly made certain their squad’s victory, posting six runs not out and nine runs not out respectively.
Selemani and skipper, Shamir Hameer, posted two wickets apiece in their team’s bowling spell.
Although they lost the match, Lions Youths garnered praise from Upanga SC B team for showcasing spirited performance.
The match further witnessed a sportmanship gesture shown by Upanga SC B squad’s skipper Zahir who opted to get back to the pavilion after he was caught by Lions Youths’ wicket keeper, Abdulrazak Sameer, although the former was not given out by the clash’s umpire.
