Ceylon Lions are safely through to the Men’s UG20 playoffs, but the battle for the second Group B spot is far from over, with SKLPs Cricket Club and Pak Shaheens left to sweat over their fate.
The Lions secured qualification after winning both their matches against Centurion Cricket Club by forfeiture, leaving SKLPs and Pak Shaheens to fight for the remaining ticket.
Sunday’s double-header at Akbar Baig Cricket Ground offered both sides a taste of heartbreak and relief. Pak Shaheens took the morning game by a single run before SKLPs hit back in the afternoon with a commanding 46-run victory.
Despite the split results, both teams remain tied on 12 points, setting up an intriguing finish to Group B.
Pak Shaheens have already completed their 10 matches and can only watch from the sidelines. SKLPs, however, still have two games against Wanderers Cricket Club and know that one victory will be enough to send them through.
But they cannot afford to relax. Two heavy defeats could hurt their net run rate and give Pak Shaheens a chance of sneaking into the playoffs.
SKLPs’ afternoon response was particularly important after the pain of losing the morning encounter by the narrowest of margins.
Having won the toss and elected to bat, SKLPs posted 114 all out in 19.4 overs, largely thanks to Nandkishor Petel’s composed 60 off 54 balls. His innings included five fours and two sixes.
- SKLPS CC 114 all out in 19.4 Overs
- Pak Shaheens 68 all out in 13.4 Overs
- SKLPS CC won by 46 runs
Navin Pindoria offered useful support with 22 off 17 balls, while Varsani Nimesh Shamji contributed 19 from 21 deliveries. However, SKLPs struggled to find partnerships in the closing overs and lost all 10 wickets before completing their innings.
Abdul Basit Habib led the Pak Shaheens attack with four wickets for 19 runs in 3.4 overs. Raheel Sarwar and Simon Okecho claimed two wickets each, while Mohsin Riaz and Shoaib Majeed picked up one apiece.
The target of 115 proved beyond Pak Shaheens, whose batting collapsed under pressure as they were dismissed for 68 in 13.4 overs.
Owili Robert top-scored with 22 off 19 balls, while Okecho made 15 off nine deliveries. Hazim Shahzad added 10, but the rest of the batting order failed to make a meaningful contribution.
Gajpariya Rinkesh Ramesh and Dinesh Manji Vekariya shared the damage with four wickets each. Gajpariya finished with 4/19 in four overs, while Vekariya returned impressive figures of 4/7 in 3.4 overs, including a maiden.
Vekariya’s match-winning spell earned him the Player of the Match award.
The victory was a welcome response for SKLPs, who had suffered a painful one-run defeat in the morning. After winning the toss and choosing to bowl, SKLPs restricted Pak Shaheens to 79/7 in their nine-over reduced match.
- Pak Shaheens 79/7 in 9.9 Overs
- SKLPS CC 78/7 in 9.9 Overs
- Pak Shaheens CC won by 1 run
Athar Ali top-scored with 26 off 16 balls, while Abdul Basit Habib struck 12 from just five deliveries. Hazim Shahzad added 14 off five balls, Raheel Sarwar made six, Abdullah Kabir scored seven, and Yasir Malik contributed one. Ullah Hafiz Muhammad Zia remained unbeaten on two.
Rashmin Harji Gami was the pick of the SKLPs bowlers, taking three wickets for 11 runs in two overs. Gajpariya claimed 2/21, while Vekariya picked up two wickets despite conceding 26 runs.
Chasing 80, SKLPs appeared capable of getting over the line but fell just short, finishing on 78/7 in their nine overs.
Chetan Halai made 17 off 11 balls, while Petel scored 18 from 17 deliveries. Vishal Bandheri contributed 10, Gajpariya added eight, and Varsani Nimesh Shamji made seven.
Raheel Sarwar proved decisive for Pak Shaheens, taking three wickets for 19 runs in three overs to earn the Player of the Match award. Okecho and Yasir Malik claimed one wicket each.
While Group B’s second qualifier remains undecided, the picture is clearer elsewhere in Group C: Chennai Cricket Club have already secured promotion, but the race for the second spot remains open. Tornado Bees Cricket Club lead with seven points, followed by Avengers Cricket Club and Kutchi Tigers B Cricket Club, who are level on six.
Group A is settled, with Kutchi Tigers Cricket Club and Ismaili Community Cricket Club already through to the playoffs.
In Group D, Mukono Warriors have secured qualification, while GM Sugar and JACC are tied on 14 points in the contest for the second spot. GM Sugar, however, have two matches against Iganga Cricket Club still to play and will fancy their chances of pulling clear.