GM Sugar stretch lead at top after five-wicket win over Ceylon Lions
The latest victory was fairly straightforward. Ceylon won the toss, but otherwise Sugar had their way from start to finish.
GM Sugar. PHOTO: Michael Nsubuga
CU Men’s 50 Overs League
Result
Gold Division
Ceylon 175/10 Sugar 176/5
(Sugar win by five wickets)
Mukono 203/8 Rounders 153/10
(Mukono win by 50 runs)
Silver Division
Bronze
Centurion 75/9 Shaheens 76/2
(Shaheens win by eight wickets)
Kutchi B 83/10 Soroti 84/6
(Soroti win by four wickets)
Brian Likavu scored a game-best 54 runs as GM Sugar defeated Ceylon Lions by five wickets to keep hold of top spot in the CU Men’s 50 Overs Gold League.
Sugar stretched their lead atop the standings by two points, although they have played a game more than second-placed Tornado Bees and two more than defending champions Kutchi Tigers. The latter have three wins and one loss thus far, while the leaders improved to 5-1.
The latest victory was fairly straightforward. Ceylon won the toss, but otherwise Sugar had their way from start to finish. First, they restricted their opponents to 175/10 in 44.5 overs, with seven scoring in double figures for Ceylon, but none more than the 37 returned by Perry Wazombe.
Clearly, Ceylon’s issue was more to do with concentration and determination to get stuck in than any bowling brilliance on the part of Sugar, for whom four bowlers picked two wickets each. Ruwan Jayaratne, Mathew Musinguzi and Ronald Omara scored 34, 26 and 22 runs respectively, while Johnson Okabo (16), Abu Seguya (15) and Collin Obong (11) also finished with double figures for Lions.
Sugar’s response did not get off to a sure start, with the opening pair of Kevin Naginbhai and Kantilal Bhavikkumar dismissed for a combined nine runs. But man-of-match Likavu and four others rallied Sugar to a steady chase and eventually to a comfortable finish.
Karan Prakashbhai added 32 runs for Sugar, while Vinitkumar Chhaganbhai, Hetalkumar Chhotubhai and Rahulkumar Pravinbhai scored 26, 25 and 24 unbeaten.