TANDIA, MUSINGUZI, SSESAZI LEAD STANDOUTS AFTER DAY FOUR MAXX T20 BATTLES
MAXX T20 Day 4 was packed with drama: The Royals won a rain-affected thriller, and the Gladiators secured a key victory thanks to Tandia's historic bowling spell.
Day Four of the MAXX T20 Challenge Cup had plenty of drama, both because of the rain and the tough competition.
The Gladiators, who haven't lost a game yet, really stood out. Aziz Abdul Tandia bowled amazingly, getting 5 wickets for just 4 runs against the Strikers. Then, Paul Mulongo played a smart innings, leading his team to a win.
Before that, the Royals and the Blasters had a game messed up by rain. Still, the Royals managed to win. It showed that being able to adjust when things get difficult is just as important as playing great individually.
Blasters vs. Royals – Morning Game
Toss: Blasters chose to bat first.
Blasters: 116/5 in 17 overs (game shortened by rain)
Royals: 91/5 in 10.5 overs (Duckworth-Lewis method)
Result: Royals won by 5 wickets (D/L)
A bit of rain in the morning made the game shorter, only 18 overs per side. Then, more rain during the first innings cut it down to 17 overs. The Royals then had to chase a revised target in just 12 overs, using the Duckworth-Lewis method.
Jonathan Ssebanja played really well for the Blasters, scoring 43 not out off 28 balls.
Anas Baig helped out with 37 off 30, pushing the team to 116/5 in 17 overs. Mathew Musinguzi (3/17) and Yashashvi Joshi (2/19) bowled well.
The Royals needed 91 runs from 12 overs because of the rain rule, and they started strong.
Simon Ssesazi hit 48 off 34 (with 5 fours and 1 six), and Abraiz Mir Ali added 26 off 20.
They made a 42-run partnership off 27 balls.
Ali Balidawa gave away 16 runs in the eighth over, which was a turning point. The Royals then only needed 16 runs from 24 balls.
The Royals missed a few catches, but Peter Ochen finally caught one, stopping Ssesazi from getting to fifty by just two runs.
The Royals reached the target in 10.5 overs at 91/5, winning by five wickets (D/L).
Player of the Match: Mathew Musinguzi
3/16 in 4 overs
Strikers vs Gladiators – Afternoon Game
Toss: Gladiators chose to bowl first
Strikers: 82 all out in 14 overs
Gladiators: 83/6 in 14.1 overs
Result: Gladiators won by 4 wickets
Rain delayed the Strikers and Gladiators game, so it was reduced to 15 overs per side.
The Gladiators’ choice to bowl first worked great.
Robinson Obuya, the Strikers’ captain for the day, played well with 33 off 25, and Fortunate Alijuna made 25 off 19.
But after their partnership ended, the innings fell apart. The score went from 70/2 to 79/7 by the 13th over.
Edwin Nuwagaba got a wicket on his first ball and only gave away one run in that over.
Aziz Abdul Tandia then bowled incredibly, destroying the Strikers’ middle and lower order and getting them all out for 82 in 14 overs.
The Gladiators had a tough time chasing 83, falling to 31/5 because of good bowling from Sowobi and Munigwa.
Paul Mulongo played a key role with 39 off 28, supported by Edwin Nuwagaba (15) and Jonathan Kizza (9*).
With three runs needed in the final over, Mulongo hit a boundary to win the game by four wickets at 83/6 in 14.1 overs.
Player of the Match: Aziz Abdul Tandia
5/4 in 3 overs (1 maiden, econ 1.33)
Tournament Standouts After Four Days
Most runs: Simon Ssesazi – 184 runs (highest score of the tournament: 90)
Most wickets: Mathew Musinguzi – 8 wickets
Best bowling: Aziz Abdul Tandia – 5/4
In eight games, teams have scored 1,957 runs, taken 118 wickets, hit 129 fours, and smashed 45 sixes.
Highest team score: Blasters – 170/8
Lowest team score: Strikers – 82 all out
Tomorrow, the Warriors play the Titans in the morning, and the Blasters face the Gladiators in the afternoon.
Every team still has a chance to win, and the games have been very exciting. The next matches should be just as thrilling.
KCCA BOUNCE BACK: KASASIRO BOYS OVERCOME RECENT SLUMP WITH A GRITTY 2-1 BUL WIN
KCCA are back: Discover how Ivan Ahimbisibwe and Herbert Achai secured a 2-1 win over Bul to rejoin the UPL title race.
Ivan Ahimbisibwe and Herbert Achai both found the net for KCCA, either side of a Denis Sewagudde goal, in a win that really should let coaches Ssenyondo and Jackson Magera breathe a little easier.
Zeal. Hunger. Character. Attitude. That’s what KCCA coach Brian Ssenyondo wanted to see after his team got handed their third loss in five games last week, a 3-1 defeat to NEC that stung. This time, he finally got it. KCCA showed all those qualities and pulled off a gritty 2-1 victory over Bul in the Uganda Premier League at Phillip Omondi Stadium on Wednesday night.
Ahimbisibwe and Achai scored for KCCA, with Sewagudde briefly levelling for Bul, and the result means Ssenyondo and Magera can at least feel the pressure lift for now.
But maybe more importantly, this win drags KCCA back into the title race. They’re now sitting on 33 points from 17 games, just five behind leaders Vipers.
The game started off tight, both sides feeling each other out, but Bul looked a little sharper early on. Even so, it was KCCA who broke the deadlock in the 31st minute with their first real chance. They overloaded the right, Saidi Mayanja whipped in a cross, and Ahimbisibwe, timing his run just right, dived in for a header. That’s his seventh goal of the season, and honestly, he’s been one of the few bright spots among the club’s new signings.
KCCA then had to dig in. Achai made a crucial block to deny Karim Ndugwa after a cross from Reagan Kalyowa. But just before halftime, the tricky Sewagudde bent in a free kick that completely wrong-footed KCCA keeper Mutwalibi Mugolofa, and Bul were level.
After the break, KCCA rediscovered their missing edge. Four minutes into the second half, left-back Achai stormed forward, played a quick one-two with Ashraf Mugume, then hammered the ball past Bul’s Ikara at the near post.
From there, KCCA held Bul at bay, sealing a rare home-and-away double over their Njeru-based rivals, who remain eighth on 20 points.
Earlier that day, Lugazi captain Richard Ayiko grabbed the winner as his side edged UPDF 1-0 in Najjembe, giving them a six-point cushion above the relegation zone. And at the bottom, Calvary finally picked up their fifth point of the season with a goalless draw against Express in Yumbe.
TITLE RACE HEAT: HOW VIPERS DROPPING HOME POINTS GIVES KITARA A CHANCE TO STRIKE
Vipers SC stay top of the UPL with 38 points! Discover how Warren Buule’s equaliser for NEC FC shook up the title race at Kitende.
NEC are stuck in seventh place with 24 points from 17 games. Vipers, even after dropping home points for just the second time this season, hang on to the top spot with 38.
Honestly, NEC have drawn more games than they'd like, nine out of 17. That’s a lot of stalemates in the Startimes Uganda Premier League. But this time, their 1-1 draw away to the reigning champs, Vipers, felt like more than just another point. It actually meant something, especially under the lights at St. Mary’s Stadium in Kitende on Tuesday evening.
Vipers came out flying. They grabbed the lead early and pretty much ran the first half. Six minutes in, Milton Karisa latched onto a slick through ball from Karim Watambala and curled a lovely left-footed shot past NEC keeper Hannington Ssebwalunyo. That was Karisa’s sixth goal of the season, and for a minute there, it looked like the Vipers were about to run riot, just like they did in their 4-0 demolition of Buhimba last time at home.
NEC looked shaky. Coach Badru Kaddu had seen enough and made two early changes, bringing on Shamir Kimwero and Joseph Dhata for Rashid Kawawa and Daniel Shabene inside 25 minutes. The switch helped steady things, but NEC didn’t really come to life until the second half.
Then, with 15 minutes left, substitute Emmanuel Kulanga swung in a cross, and Warren Buule was there at the far post to head in the equaliser. That goal was well earned; NEC were much better after the break. Richard Basangwa, playing up front, kept his old team busy and even got Bady Da Silva and Enoch Ssebagala booked. Ssebagala didn’t last much longer, getting subbed off after a rough tackle on his former side.
NEC has been busy in the mid-season transfer window. They’ve already added six new faces, and more are on the way. Sam Ssekamatte, who scored five goals for UPDF in the first round, watched from the stands with the rest of the unused squad.
So, NEC holds on to seventh, Vipers stay top, but Kitara could shake things up if they beat URA on Thursday. This title race isn’t done yet.
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