• Swamibapa lead the log with four wins from five matches while Kanbis, who have dominated the local cricket scene for over a decade, have won all their three matches
• Kanbis have prevailed over Swamibapa in the last four meetings and hopefully, the former will be seeking a repeat performance
Traditional rivals Kanbis and Swamibapa clash tomorrow in the inaugural Hirani Telecom T20 tournament at the Jamhuri High School ground.
Swamibapa lead the log with four wins from five matches while Kanbis, who have dominated the local cricket scene for over a decade, have won all their three matches.
Kanbis have prevailed over Swamibapa in the last four meetings and hopefully, the former will be seeking a repeat performance. For Swami, a win will not only end their two-year losing streak but will also boost their chances of finishing top and help them avoid a semi-final clash with Kanbis.
Naman Patel, who is currently leading the batting with 288 runs from five innings is expected to play a key role with the bat with Nehemiah Odhiambo, who bagged a hat-trick against Stray Lions set to control the bowling. Odhiambo, who rejoined Swamibapa from Stray Lions, is aware of the challenge Kanbis pose but feels his side is well prepared.
“There’s no other way to approach this match apart from going guns blazing. People aren’t expecting us to win and from my point of view, that’s a position for us,” he said. “If that’s the case, we can go out and play with some real freedom and maybe the level of expectation is more on Kanbis than it is on Swamibapa.”
The visitors have a well-balanced side with talented batsmen and bowlers and they are expected to put up a strong performance. Despite Kanbis starting as favourites based on past record, today’s match could go either way considering Swamibapa are keen to stay on course.
Odhiambo is joint top wicket taker alongside team-mate Jadavji ‘Malindi’ Bhimji with 10 wickets each. Their bowling will, however, be weakened by the absence of veteran bowler Lameck Onyango, who was injured in their win over Stray Lions. Apart from Naman, Swamibapa’s batting will also revolve around Maurice Ouma and Irfan Karim.
Before facing Swami, Kanbis will seek to topple second-placed Sir Ali when they play them at Sir Ali today.
Sir Ali has had a good start in the tournament with four wins including the opening match against Swamibapa. A win at home against Kanbis will be a big boost in their quest for a semi-final spot.