Nairobi — Ruaraka "A" and Shree Cutchi Leva Patel Samaj "B" have been crowned the 2025 Nairobi Provincial Cricket Association (NCCA) 50-Overs League champions, following a thrilling conclusion to Week 14 proceedings.
In a nail-biting finish, where a slip-up would mean a disappointing outcome, Ruaraka held their nerves to win their final game and second NCCA 50-Overs Super League title to boot, in 3 years.
With an apparently insatiable appetite for success, on-form Ruaraka "A" reclaimed the coveted NCCA title from 2024 holders Kanbis "A" after a resounding three-wicket win over hosts Samaj A.
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Ruaraka won the toss and put Samaj A to bat; with the latter smacking a decent 246 for 9 in 50.0 Overs.
Chasing the target, Ruaraka carried the day with a fulfilling 247 for 7 in 46.0 Overs, but not without a struggle.
Samaj gave Ruaraka batsmen some torrid time in their innings, with Satyalaksha Jain, Neelakash Ravindra Tambe and Purshottam Vekariya (c) being dismissed for a duck.
Despite the pressure, the "Thika Road troops" held their nerve, led by man-of-the-match Dashrath Chavan (71 off 83 balls) and Harshin Varsani (63 off 44 balls), who shone for the eventual champions when it really mattered.
Hitesh Varsani (40 off 58 deliveries) who is also doubled up as the wicket keeper, and former national team skipper Morris Ouma (46 off 66 balls) also played pivotal roles in Ruaraka's fightback.
Ruaraka only needed a win in their last outing to win back the silverware that eluded them last season.
Satyalaksha's early dismissal foiled his bid to surpass the 1000-run mark, but he still ended the season as the top run scorer with 862 runs at an impressive average of 95.78.
Ruaraka clinched the 2025 League title with 48 points, while defending champions Kanbis "A" are lying second with 44 points after a thrilling 3-wicket win over Kenya Kongonis A at Eastleigh."
Swamibapa A, strong title contenders all season, suffered a stunning setback, slipping to third place after a shocking 4-wicket loss to Nairobi Gymkhana A.
Batting first, Swamibapa A were bowled out for 182 in 40 overs in a shocking batting collapse after being at 182/6 with last 4 wickets failing to add a single run to the scoreboard.
The Swamis who two weeks back defeated the eventual champions Ruaraka, and only needed to win their last two games to win the league against Ngara A and Gymkhana A, surprisingly ended up losing both their matches.
Swamis, missing key players on national duty and with the captain Rushabh Patel recovering from injury sustained at national team camp, were left to fill in a huge void with youngsters who couldn't handle the pressure.
Nairobi Gymkhana A have been the dark horses of the 2025 50-Overs league finishing the competition in 4th place after years of poor showing.
Nairobi Gymkhana's impressive run this season saw them lose just three times in the 50-Overs league - to Samaj A, Ruaraka A, and Swamibapa A - all earlier in the campaign.
Gymkhana still holds a chance to leapfrog Kanbis A and Swamibapa A, contingent on a favorable result against Sikh Union A this weekend.
Kanbis A, who like the Swamis have also been affected by players traveling for national duties at different stages of the league had to grind out a hard-fought victory against Kongonis A team.
Batting first, Kongonis A put in a decent total of 200 runs but failed to bat their 50 overs with sublime Shem Ngoche starting with the bat with an unbeaten 99 runs as he ran out of partners before he could complete his maiden century of the season.
In response, Kanbis A managed to chase the target with the loss of 7 wickets.
Former champions Stray Lions A, who've endured a couple of rough seasons, broke through with their second win of the season, thrashing Ngara A by 81 runs behind Subham Jadhav's blistering unbeaten 117 off 92 balls.
Meanwhile, 2025 Division One 50-Overs Champion Samaj B maintained their perfect run in the league with a 7-wicket advantage over Swamibapa B. This was their 13th consecutive victory in the league which secured the Division One title for them.
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Samaj B, who already savour an unassailable 52-point tally, hosts Sir Ali B at the Shree Cutchi Leva Patel Samaj School, Nairobi ground and will be hoping to finish the league unbeaten.
WEEK 14 RESULTS:
EASTLEIGH GROUND: Kenya Kongonis Cricket Club A Team 200/10 (37.3) Kanbis A Team 203/7 (46.0)- Kanbis A Team won by 3 wickets
NAIROBI GYMKHANA, NAIROBI: Swamibapa A Team 182/10 (41.4); Nairobi Gymkhana A Team 186/6 (46.2)- Nairobi Gymkhana A Team won by 4 wickets
SHREE CUTCHI LEVA PATEL SAMAJ SCHOOL: SCLPS YL A Team 246/9 (50.0); Ruaraka A Team 247/7 (46.0) -Ruaraka A Team won by 3 wickets
NCCA SUPER LEAGUE 50 OVERS PAST WINNERS
2023: RUARAKA A
2024: KANBIS A
2025: RUARAKA A
