Swamibapa hardest hit as 14 stars leave for ILT20 Rwanda

League leaders Swamibapa A face the ultimate test of their squad depth this Sunday in the NCCA Super Division 50-Overs League, with four of their first-team regulars away on national duty.

Swamibapa, who sit top of the table on 28 points with the best Net Run Rate of 1.504, will be without Shem Ngoche, Sachin Gill, Peter Koech and Rushab Patel - all named in the 14-man Kenya squad travelling to Kigali tomorrow (Sunday afternoon) for the ILT20 Rwanda tournament.

The National team returns on 20th September, meaning Swamibapa and other clubs will have to navigate three league weekends without their stars. The period will definitely test squad depth as teams strategize to fill the void left behind by the departing national team stars.

After nine rounds, the title race is incredibly tight. Swamibapa A, Ruaraka A and Sir Ali Muslim Club A are all locked on 28 points.

But the top four including Kanbis are in contention for the coveted silverware currently held by Ruaraka A.

Swamibapa lead on NRR, followed by Ruaraka (1.012) and Sir Ali (0.228), with Kanbis A just four points behind on 24.

Sir Ali are on a Bye this weekend after their morale-boosting 43-run win over Ruaraka last week, 333/8 to 290 all out, inspired by top run-scorer Faraz Ahmad who leads the charts with 745 runs at 82.78.

Sir Ali themselves will lose two players - Gurdeep Singh aka Sunny and Brian Likavu - to the Rwanda trip.

     

For Swamibapa, the timing is tricky. They face a resurgent Nairobi Gymkhana A at Nairobi Gymkhana, a side that hammered SCLPS YL A by 97 runs last week, 261 to 164.

In the absence of the four, Swamibapa will bank on in-form Onkar Haresh Jadhav, fourth on the run charts with 558 runs at 93.00 average, to hold the batting together while promoting players from their squad system.

Ruaraka A, wounded after last week's loss to Sir Ali despite Omkar Ghule's continued form - 627 runs at 156.36 - must also reshuffle. In-form Ruaraka Captain Nitish Hirani is in the Kenya squad for Rwanda, leaving Ruaraka to find a new leader for their trip to SCLPS Ground to face SCLPS YL A.

Kanbis A, who revived their title push with 349/8 to beat Sikh Union by 40 runs, are also badly hit. Kanbis Skipper Dhiren Gondaria, who is also the national team captain, and veteran Rakep Patel are both off to Rwanda. Eastleigh troops host struggling Ngara SC A at Jamhuri High School ground. Ngara are second from bottom on 8 points.

SCLPS YL A will miss Francis Mutua and Lucas Oluoch Ndandason. Sikh Union will also field a new leader in the absence of its skipper and wicket-keeper Sukhdeep Singh. Gymkhana will lose Vishil Patel and Stray Lions Gerald Mwendwa.

The next three weeks will be about who adapts best.

-- Battle Heats Up As Division One Returns With Full Slate--

The NCCA Division One 50-Overs League continues this Sunday with a full card of six fixtures that could have a major say in supremacy battles.

With the Super Division title race already shaping up, the second tier is equally tight, and every point is now crucial as teams push for a top-two finish.

Ruaraka B will bank on home advantage at their Ruaraka base against a tricky Wolves CC A side. Ruaraka’ s second string will look to keep pressure on the leaders.

Obuya Academy A, known for their resilience, fearless cricketers from the Obuya stable, host an experienced Kanbis B side that always bats deep. Expect runs at Lenana. Spearheading the Obuya campaign is former Kenya team skipper Collins Obuya, who already has a double century to his name this season. Like old wine, Collins tends to get better with age!

Kenya Kongonis A welcome Nairobi Gymkhana B to their Nairobi Club backyard. Kongonis will definitely be a hard nut to crack at home, while Gymkhana B will be looking to complete a good weekend for the Gymkhana franchise after their A team's big win last week.

Sir Ali B hosts Swamibapa B at Sir Ali, in what could turn out to be a high-scoring, high-tempo affair. With both A teams fighting for the Super Division title, the B teams will want to lay down a marker.

Ngara SC B face Sikh Union B at Ngara. Both sides are in high spirits and need a win to stay in touch with competition dynamics. Ngara at home is always tough to beat.

Legends CC A host SCLPS YL B at the Peponi School

SUNDAY 7TH SEPT FIXTURES

SUPER DIVISION

SCLPS YL A vs Ruaraka A - SCLPS

Kanbis A vs Ngara SC A - Jamhuri

Nbi Gymkhana A vs Swamibapa A - Nbi Gymkhana Sikh Union A vs Stray Lions A - Sikh Union SirAliA-Bye

DIVISION ONE

Ruaraka B vs Wolves CC A - Ruaraka

Obuya Academy A vs Kanbis B - Lenana Kongonis A vs Nbi Gymkhana B - Nbi Club

Sir Ali B vs Swamibapa B - Sir Ali

Ngara SC B vs Sikh Union B - Ngara

Legends CC A vs SCLPS YL B - Peponi-School

KENYA TEAM TO ILT20 RWANDA - Departs Sun 7th Sept, Returns 20th Sept

Head Coach: Joseph Angara (Former International) 

1. Dhiren Gondaria (C) - Kanbis

2. Lucas Oluoch Ndandason - SCLPS YL A

3. Sukhdeep Singh (WK) - Sikh Union

4. Rakep Patel - Kanbis

5. Shem Ngoche - Swamibapa

6. Francis Mutua - SCLPS YL A

7. Peter Koech - Swamibapa

8. Gerald Mwendwa - Stray Lions

9. Sachin Gill - Swamibapa

10. Vishil Patel - Gymkhana

11. Gurdeep Singh - Sir Ali

12. Brian Likavu - Sir Ali

13. Nitish Hirani - Ruaraka

14. Rushab Patel – Swamibapa