Leaders Gymkhana duel against Swamibapa headlines NPCA 50 overs action on Sunday
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Reading Time: 5min | Sat. 12.07.25. | 20:57
Meanwhile, Kenya Kongonis face Champions Kanbis A at home, hoping to clinch their first win of the season
After leading the Nairobi Provincial Cricket Association (NPCA) 50-Overs log for the second straight weekend, Nairobi Gymkhana A face their first major test of the season away to T20 Champions Swamibapa A at Jeffrey’s this Sunday 13 July.
The plucky Gymkhana outfit is determined to make their presence felt in the 2025 50-Overs season, which enters its third weekend, and indeed, prove that their recent past form isn't a fluke.
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Swamis on the other hand, are determined to win the title, which eluded them last season, at the hands of their perennial rivals, Kanbis A who emerged the champions.
Gymkhana has banked on the services of their top and middle order reinforced with the arrival of two overseas professionals Ali Butt and Mohit Jhawa, but this weekend, it'll definitely be an acid test.
To kickstart what's been a successful season so far, Gymkhana decimated Sir Ali A by 8 wickets last weekend and Kenya Kongonis by 5 wickets in the opener.
In the last one year, Swamibapa has already won the T20 title and also finished second in the 50 overs league last season.
The Swamis boast of a solid batting order this season, but knowing the game of cricket, the Rushabh Patel-led outfit cannot afford to rest on their laurels despite a flawless start to the 50- Overs season in which they have since beaten Ngara A by 3 wickets and Stray Lions by 8 wickets in the opener.
Swamis top order has Onkar Haresh Jadhav, Harendra Kerai, who is also the wicket-keeper and skipper Rushabh.
Sachin Gill, arguably Swamis finest, Vraj Patel and Yash Chavan are expected to start in the middle order.
All has not been well with Stray Lions A who have so far suffered an excruciating start to the season.
It’s all hands on the deck, though as the Lions continue chasing their first win of the season with the much-needed gusto and resilience.
Stray Lions A opener Kavi Dosaja believes all is not lost and that it's still early days.
Kavi explained: "Our first two games didn’t go as planned, but the team has been training hard and staying focused trying to forget our two losses. As a batting unit, we know we haven’t pulled our weight so far, and that has been very disappointing, but there’s motivation in the camp.”
“Personally, I’m hungry to score runs for a team that backed me, especially after a period where my place in the league came with its fair share of issues. Our top batsmen, Aman, Neil, and I are ready to step up this weekend. We’re confident we’ll bounce back on Sunday and start pushing Stray Lions back to the top of the table where we belong."
Kenya Kongonis face Champions Kanbis A at home, hoping to clinch their first win of the season.
Kongonis' spirited campaign may sound a mission impossible against the on-form champions, but Kongonis skipper Tom Ojijo believes hard work will pay off.
"We play the Champions this weekend, so it's back to the drawing board because we need to work on our batting unit. At least see out our innings. The boys are positive and looking to bounce back even stronger on match day 3. I'm looking forward to getting our maiden win this 50 over season," said Ojijo.
Kanbis has enjoyed great bowling all around from the start of the season with great performances from Bilal Husin and Nelson Mandela Odhiambo.
Seasoned player Rakep Patel and skipper Dhiren Gondaria will be the key batsmen for Kanbis.
"The essence will be keeping things simple and waiting for our opponents to make mistakes, this kind of start of the season can boost confidence of doing better and better every day," Dhiren highlighted.
Dhiren is tasked with reshaping Kanbis' approach to their 50 overs title defense and with improved bowling and batting performances.
Ojijo, on his part, aims to instill a fearless approach in the Kongonis’ squad, leveraging the aggressive playing style of their stars Alex Obanda and Shem Ngoche who bring a wealth of experience to the Nairobi Club side.
In another match, Ngara hosts Sikh Union while Samaj A visit Ruaraka. Sikh Union skipper Sukhdeep Singh hopes to bring a fresh perspective and strategic vision to his team after their loss to Ruaraka A last weekend.
Losing to Ruaraka was not the result Sikh Union A were expecting, hence the need to make amends this weekend.
"The pitch played a huge role in both the innings. The first innings while we batted against Ruaraka, the pitch played a bit slow and turning.
And as Ruaraka came into bat, the wicket played differently and flat. But a good learning curve at the start of the season. A lot of positives as well, with how we bowled and batted. Our youngsters learnt a lot, and we are taking this game as a lesson and not a regret," said Sukhdeep.
NPCA 50 OVERS LEAGUE FIXTURES
SUPER DIVISION
Swamibapa A vs Nairobi Gymkhana A (Nairobi Jafferys)
Kongonis A vs Kanbis A (Nairobi Club)
Ngara A vs Sikh Union A (Ngara SC)
Sir Ali A vs Stray Lions A (Sir Ali)
Ruaraka A vs SCLPS (Ruaraka)
DIVISION ONE
Sikh Union B vs Swamibapa B (Sikh Union)
Kanbis B vs Wolves CC A (Eastleigh)
GI A v Sir Ali B (GI)
SCLPS B vs Ngara B (Samaj)
Obuya A vs Ruaraka B (Lenana)
DIVISION TWO
Swamibapa Development vs Legends CC (Jamhuri)
Stray Lions D vs Stray Lions C (Peponi)
Nairobi Gymkhana B vs Kongonis B (Nairobi Gymkhana)
Wolves CC B vs Obuya B (Viraj Academy Katani).
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