UG20 Final: Ismaili CC v Aboojo
- Ismaili CC 148 all out
- Aboojo CC 125/8
- Ismaili CC won by 23 runs
Ismaili Cricket Club were not the favourites in the UG20 final because of the brand of cricket that Aboojo plays; they are pure talent when they are in their element, as the T20 format suits them.
However, when you live by the sword, most of the time you will die by the sword.
Aboojo won the toss and elected to bowl first and had some early success with an early wicket but Kamran Ali Wala (40) and Riazat Ali Shah (41) put on a 70-run second wicket partnership that set a platform for Ismaili.
Aboojo punched back in the final five overs with some good fielding to effect some run outs but Ismaili found a way to get to a competitive 148 in their 20 overs.
In the run chase, Aboojo was on the ropes as early as the second ball of the innings. Fortunate Alijuna missed a straight delivery that uprooted his middle stump, and he was followed back in the hut by the semifinal match winner Pascal Murungi and Joseph Baguma, the latter with some questionable shot selection.
Unfortunately, that early collapse never allowed Aboojo to get back into the game, and they ran out of resources with 23 runs still required for the win.
Ismaili Cricket Community rising against odds to win the T20 title, a historical moment as well for a team from the second division winning the title. Riazat Ali Shah was their main anchor with a fine all-round performance in the final to lead them to the title.
Aboojo were true to their own ways of playing, but unfortunately not to be for them in what has been an amazing season.