The men’s Waterfalls T20 Elite League is underway at the Lugogo Cricket Oval, and today on Day two the Bujagaali Rafters tightened their grip on the title with a narrow win over the Itanda Kayakers.
The Bujagaali Rafters beat the Itanda Kayakers by one wicket in their second game of the Men’s 2023 Waterfalls T20 Elite League, a win that puts them in a direct lead of the title race.
The Rafters in blue won the toss and elected to bowl first, sending a batting pair of Waseem Butt and Ronald Lutaaya of the Itanda Kayakers to the crease.
Juma Miyagi was the man to lead the Bujagaali attack, and he was visibly frustrated by the Kayakers who made six runs with no wicket down in the opening Over.
The introduction of Ocen Peter in the second Over saw the Itanda Kayakers lose their first wicket which was Ronald Lutaaya, caught by Robinson Obuya on Ocen’s fourth delivery.
At Halfway of the first innings, the Kayakers had gathered 72 runs for four wickets but just before they got comfortable, a brutal elimination by the Rafters in the next rounds of play didn’t leave star players like Alpesh Ramjani, Captain Riazat Ali Shah, and Pascal Murungi up on the ground standing.
The final over in the first innings saw Rwandan National Ignace Nterenganya run out by Cyrus Kakuru and Roger Mukasa after only three runs off two deliveries.
Ignace would return as opening bowler in the second innings with hope to pick a sweet revenge off Roger Mukasa who had eliminated him in the previous half.
With a quick hand on the ball, he cost his side only one run after the first over, to set pace for a better defense.
A batting pair of Roger Mukasa and Falak Shah kept the Rafters in play for six straight overs with no wicket lost, and 35 runs in 36 deliveries.
Falak didn’t survive a send off in the seventh over, to introduce Karabo Mothlanka who also was eliminated by wicket keeper Steven Wabwose, on Riazat Ali Shah’s fourth ball.
By the fourteenth over, Mukasa was still the man standing with a 125.64 Strike Rate before a catch by youngster Joseph Baguma that eliminated him with almost a half century off 39 deliveries. His score included four boundaries and three sixers.
From all the huff and puff in both camps, the Bujagaali Rafters emerged game three winners with one wicket and two balls to spare.
In the other game played on Day two, the Sipi Trekkers picked their first win of the championship – a three-wicket victory- against the Itanda Kayakers, an opponent who beat them by 10 wickets on Day one.
Day two results mean the Brian Masaba charges are in the lead for bragging rights of the very first edition of the Waterfalls T20 Elite League Championship with two wins, against one each for Itanda and the Sipi Trekkers.
Standings after Day two
1 BUJJAGALI RAFTERS – 2 games (2 wins)
2 ITANDA KAYAKERS – 3 games (1 win)
3 SIPI TREKKERS – 3 games (1 win)
