Two wins for Napa Royal Kings but Lions still on top

By Richard Boxall
The position in Group A of the 2023 CCA BAOFinancial Spring T10 Cup fluctuated dramatically over the weekend. It started with Markhor as favourites, after beating Sri Lanka Lions the week before, and ended with the Lions in pole position, despite a great effort by Napa Royal Kings who played and won two games.

The match of the weekend saw Napa Royal Kings beat Markhor by 3 wickets at Ypsonas cricket ground on Sunday. Five Markhor batsmen reached double figures without going on to a decisive score as they totalled 100-7. Napa Royal Kings’ Sehran Ahmed took 2-11 from two overs before hitting 32 in 12 balls as his team set off rapidly, reaching 50 inside 4 overs.

His attacking role was taken on by Hardeep Singh who in the space of 5 balls hit a four and three sixes and was caught in the deep. The Kings lost 7 wickets before Manzoor Ali finished the game with a six and a four, with 9 balls to spare.

This result threw group A wide open, as all four teams in the group still had a chance to finish top.

Sri Lanka Lions, who would have feared elimination after losing to Markhor in their previous game, now took advantage of Markhor’s defeat by thrashing Limassol Qalandars by 68 runs, and in doing so completed their matches with a vastly superior run rate to their rivals

The Lions rattled up 129-6, led by Roshan Lakmal’s 23-ball 52. Qalandars then collapsed to a disappointing 61 all out. Sadun Chamal followed his 21 with the bat with 3-6 with the ball, and Kamal Raiz took 3-10, as the Lions moved to the top of the standings.

Any of the three other teams in the group could at that stage still draw level on points with the Lions by winning their remaining games, although it would be a stiff challenge to surpass their net run rate.

The following day – Green Monday – Napa Royal Kings and Limassol Qalandars were in action again, and the Kings did all they could by winning comfortably by 29 runs. Sehran Ahmed and Hardeep Singh both scored 32 out of a total of 133-6, with Qalandars’ Numan Munir taking 3-45.

Qalandars skipper Muhammad Farooq made a rapid 36 and Sohail Ahsan 22, but the target was too stiff and they ended on 104-5 from their 10 overs. Kings’ Manzoor Ali returned figures of 2-14.

The result brought the Kings level with the Lions on points, with both having two wins and one loss, but the Sri Lankan team’s superior run rate keeps them at the top. They can be passed if Markhor win their last game but only if they achieve a huge turn-round in net run rate.

One game was also played in group D, where Nicosia Tigers maintained their winning start with a 92-run demolition of Limassol Moufflons. Roman Mazumder (39), Abdullah Al Tasmin (25) and Iftekar Jaman (23) took the Tigers to 134-5, before the Moufflons were reduced to

42-8 in their ten overs. Aminul Islam achieved sensational figures of 3 wickets for 4 runs from his two overs.

Tigers are looking strong favourites to win Group D, but there is a lot of cricket still to be played throughout March before all the semi finalists will be known.