Kukoma dominate FMB T20 League
Kukoma Cricket Club summed up a successful season on Sunday after lifting the First Merchant Bank (FMB) T20 Inter- Cricket League at Mpingwe Sports Club in Blantyre.
They defeated Lido in the final and completed a remarkable season with two of their players also winning awards.
Lido made 97 runs in 19 overs with Akil Bapu contributing 35 runs while Toshif Rustam supplied 24. Kukoma’s Imtyaz Badat took four wickets while his teammate Washim Mizra, took two.
In response, Kukoma made 100 runs in 12 overs with Imtyaz contributing 27 whereas Suhel Rustam managed 27.
Shoyab Shekhar and Rustam took three wickets each whereas Badat took two.
To crown it all, Badat swept the Man of the Match and Player of the Tournament awards while teammate Rustam picked up the Best Bowler accolade.
Safir Remat of Lido was named best batsman.
Kukoma were buoyed by their sponsor, Capital Oil Refining Industries, whose Managing Director, Ameen Karim, was in attendance.
Karim’s presence seemed to motivate the players to fight for honours as they outclassed their opponents with relative ease.
Kukoma Vice Captain, Imtyaz Kara, said it has been a memorable season after winning all four competitions on offer in the game this year.
“The majority of our players have been together for 14 years now but our enthusiasm is still strong. We work extra hard during every training session to prepare better for our games. Winning four trophies in one calendar year is not easy and I applaud my teammates for that,” he said.
FMB Head of Marketing, Sylvia Mataka, said the bank is pleased to be associated with a sport that is gaining popularity every year.
“For the four years we have been sponsoring the league, we have had no regrets. It has all been smooth sailing,” Mataka said.
The league’s Chairperson, Shiraz Zaveri, said the 2017 season has been one of the most competitive, with one team from Mozambique joining the competition.
“We also saw the number of participating teams rising from 12 to 16. This is an indication that the league is gaining a lot of ground,” Zaveri said.
A vibrant writer who gives a great insight on hot topics and issues
