Bakerton Youngsters and Roshnee Cricket Club advance to SPL T20 final
Roshnee Cricket Club secured a 22-run victory over T&B Brothers to secure its place in the SPL SWT T20 Sikander Bhorat final.
Cricketers went head to head in the SPL SWT T20 Sikander Bhorat semi-finals at the Springs Old Boys Sports Ground on September 13.
Bakerton Youngsters and Roshnee Cricket Club advanced to the finals after securing victories in their respective matches.
Roshnee faced T&B Brothers in an action-packed game. Roshnee scored 180 runs for the loss of seven wickets while T&B managed 158 runs for the loss of five wickets, giving Roshnee a 22-run victory.
Bakerton played against Kazi Cosmetics, winning by eight wickets. Roshnee captain Imran Hafeji said the team produced an all-round performance.
“We batted first, we lost the toss,” said Hafeji. “We knew we had to put in a decent score on this wicket, so we got to 180. We thought this was over par.
“We knew anything over 180 was going to be very difficult on this wicket. And obviously the opposition started really well.”
T&B Brothers got off to a flying start by scoring between 55 and 60 runs in the opening five overs. Hafeji said Roshnee knew its spinners and slower bowlers could bring the team back into the game.
As T&B Brothers pushed towards the target, Roshnee fast bowlers also made an impact, with the opposition eventually needing around eight runs an over.
Hafeji praised youngster Ahmed Imran for his contribution at a crucial stage of the match.
“He came in and he bowled, gave two runs in a crucial 18th over, and that obviously changed the momentum,” said Hafeji.
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Hafeji said Roshnee entered the match as the underdogs.
“It’s a funny game, cricket. It’s about who comes in and who stands on the day and who performs. And it was a good all-round team effort. From the batsmen to the bowlers, fielders backed us up,” said Hafeji.
T&B batsman Muhammad Valli said they did well in the middle overs but lost wickets, which ultimately led to their loss.
“We weren’t running as hard in the middle overs and we couldn’t really find a boundary, which cost us,” said Valli.
Valli said the team will have to work on singles, finishing the gaps, and fielding before their next game, adding that he enjoys the teamwork and unity among his teammates.
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