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The 2023 50-Over Nairobi Provincial Cricket Association-Super Division league started off Sunday with a bang with bigwigs Stray Lions making the biggest headlines following their 25-run loss to unheralded Shree Cutchi Leva Patel Samaj away at Nairobi West.

The other three games in the top tier were played with Ruaraka and Swamibapa also in winning ends. In the game pitting Lions and Cutchi Leva, the host side won the toss selecting to bat first and in the process set a score total of 212 runs on the board for the loss of 10 wickets in their allotted overs.

Sumit Halai (116 runs off 1229 balls) was the star man with the bat with his century-plus score that included a staggering 14 boundaries and a double-six.

Halai who was opening alongside Darsh Panchani (06 runs off 06 balls) for the home team, was calm and effective in his duties in the opening innings but, sadly, had to leave the crease inside 38.4 overs by Shubham Jadhav of Lions – who had a great outing with a three-wicket haul including the Cutchi Leva dual openers.

Ravi Rabadia (28 runs off 49 balls) coming off number six in the batting order was the only other serious runs-getter for the Cutchi Leva side in an innings that saw Stray Lions all-rounder Hiren Varaiya get a triple wicket haul.
In the second innings after the break, the Lions were restricted to only a score of 187-10 on the board despite a spirited chase. Aarnav Patel (31 runs off 41 balls) was top-scorer for the visitors including a contribution of four boundaries. Vaibhav Nairesh (29 runs off 49 balls) and Neil Mugabe (26 runs off 45 balls) also helped in the chase mission alongside Nilay Daga (23 runs off 27 balls).

However, Cutchi Leva had Ankit Bhanderi (3 wickets in 7 overs) as the main danger-man with the ball in the innings.
Meanwhile, former Champions Swamibapa Sports Club began a quest for another season of glory following a seven-wicket humbling of Sikh Union Sunday in a game played at Nairobi Jaffrey’s Club.

wami skipper Rushabh Patel (65 runs off 71 balls) was the star of the match with his personal contribution including five boundaries and a double-six.

Swamibapa won the toss opting to field with the visitors only managing a score total of 136 runs for the loss of 10 wickets.