Tornado Bee will have to wait another season for better fortune in the T2o League after Kutchi Tigers put on a batting show at Lugogo to win by 5 wickets.
Roger Mukasa had carried Tornado Bee to a team high 176/5 after he scored an inspired 91 off 44 balls ably supported by Akbar Baig (44 not out). However, in the ended it proved not to be enough as Kutchi Tigers batted as a team to complete the 5 wicket win.
Tornado Bee has never gone past the quarterfinals of the T20 league and they looked to correct that record on Sunday. They had former Kenyan international David Obuya who could only manage a cameo 23 opening batting with veteran Akbar Baig.
After the departure of Obuya, Roger Mukasa took over the show spreading the ball to all corners of Lugogo. He tore into the Kutchi Tigers attack that had given the openers trouble. In what is rumored to be his last game for the club the hard hitting right hand batsman still showed where his loyalty lies scoring at over 10 an over before losing his wicket in the last over of the 1st innings.
Kutchi Tigers came out determined in the chase dipatching the bad balls for boundaries but also picking singles to stay with asking rate of 8 every over.
The introduction of Deus Muhumuza in the attack broke the opening stand of 40 when he took a great catch off his own bowling to get rid of the dangerous Nanji Phindoria.
However, an expensive 25 run over from Cyrus Kibuuka Musoke swung momentum the way of Kutchi Tigers with their middle order holding steady in the chase and with 16 needed off 12 balls Ankit Patel completed formalities with a big six into Jinja road to send the handful of Kutchi fans into a frenzy.
Kutchi has now won the last 2 encounters between the 2 sides and even when Tornado Bee has gotten the better of them the games haven’t been short of close finishes.
In the semifinals, Kutchi will take on KICC who defeated Kampala Pirates.
MATCH SUMMARY
TORNADO BEE CC 175/3 IN 20 OVERS LOST TO KUTCHI TIGERS CC 176/5 IN 18.4 OVERS BY 5 WICKETS
TOSS WON BY TORNADO BEE WHO OPTED TO BAT
BATTING TORNADO BEE: ROGER MUKASA 91(44), AKBAR BAIG 42(42)
BOWLING KUTCHI TIGERS: SAUMIL PATEL 2/33 IN 4 OVERS
BATTING KUTCHI TIGERS: RAKESH KEBAR 37(21), VYAS NISARG 35(26)
BOWLING TORNADO BEE: DEUS MUHUMUZA 3/35 IN 4 OVERS, ROGER MUKASA 2/17 IN 4 OVERS
MAN OF MATCH: ROGER MUKASA 91(44), 2/ 17 IN 4 OVERS
