Tanzania: Upanga SC Scoops Twenty20 Trophy

Tanzania Daily News (Dar es Salaam)

Japheth Kazenga

21 March 2011

UPANGA Sports Club has been crowned new champion of the Tanzania Cricket Association (TCA) Twenty20 League after commanding an emphatic eight-wicket victory over Aga Khan SC in the final played at the Dar es Salaam Gymkhana Club (DGC) venue on Sunday.

The triumph has ensured Upanga starts the new season on a sound note apart from realizing their dream of getting hold of silverware after years of missing out on top honours in domestic competitions.

The team had earlier edged the league’s defending champions, Academy Boys, by four runs in the semi-final played at the same venue. Aga Khan’s cricketers started batting and were all out after mere 86 runs in 19 overs to stay in an extremely precarious position when it came to defending the total.

The team looked a pale shadow of a side that garnered a convincing 17-run win over Morogoro in the semi-final played earlier and were therefore punished for their timid batting approach against Upanga.

Upanga bowlers never hesitated to fully exploit their opponents’ batting weakness and realized their plan to limit the latter to an achievable target with just an over remaining in the innings.

Upanga, in response, needed nothing but composure during the chase and they eventually reached the target for the loss of only two wickets to lay their hands on the trophy.

The team’s batting tenacity was, once again, the key to its success and the chase was made much more smooth by Aga Khan’s failure to post an imposing total during their innings.

Aga Khan’s opening batsman Angel Seth, who had earlier starred for the side during the semi-final against Morogoro, admitted that Upanga were the better side in the final. His side’s batting approach was not quite up to scratch as none of the team’s batsmen managed to record impressive score during their innings, said Seth.

Aga Khan, for that matter, will have no option but continue to endure the title drought that has been haunting them in recent years.

Upanga SC cricketers, on their part, will have plenty to cheer about as they celebrate their major success in domestic cricket that has somewhat erased bitter memories of missing out on the Mwalimu Nyerere Memorial Cup in the last season.

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