- Blasters 82/8 in 15 Overs (Pius Oloka 34*, Abraiz Mir Ali 12; Edwin Nuwagaba 3/15, Dan Keith Amani 2/10)
- Gladiators 79/7 in 15 Overs (Gerald Olipa 34, Suleman Sharif 13; Pius Oloka 3/16, Yashashvi Joshi 2/17)
Blasters won by 3 runs
With two days to end the two phase round robin tournament, Blasters tightened their grip on the Batball MAXX T20 Challenge Cup with a tense three run win over Gladiators in a top of the table duel at Lakeside Oval, Entebbe on Friday morning.
Day 13 brought a first versus second showdown, shortened by weather but not short on drama. Captain Kenneth Waiswa won the toss and chose to bat, knowing every run could matter.
Scoring was tough early on. Simon Ssesazi and Charles Musemeza found little room to breathe as Gladiators bowled with discipline.
Abraiz Mir Ali’s quick 12 offered a spark, but regular wickets stalled any real momentum.
Pius Oloka provided the calm Blasters needed. Unbeaten on 34 from 27 balls, he paced the innings smartly, guiding his side to 82 for 8 in 15 overs.
Dan Keith Amani and Edwin Nuwagaba led Gladiators’ response with the ball, sharing five wickets to keep the leaders in check.
Gladiators’ chase never settled. Early losses of Suleman Sharif and Amani shifted pressure onto captain Gerald Olipa, who answered with a composed 34 off 27 balls to briefly revive hopes.
But Oloka had the final say. He returned with the ball to remove Olipa and finished with three wickets, capping a match winning all round display.
Yashashvi Joshi claimed two wickets, while Abraiz Mir Ali kept things tight as Blasters squeezed in the closing overs.
Gladiators fought to the end but finished on 79 for 7. Three runs short and a clear reminder that the leaders are not easing up.
Blasters stay top with now 16 points and, perhaps more importantly, send a firm signal to their closest rivals, Gladiators who stay on 12 points as the tournament heads into its decisive phase.
The team with the most points on the final day (Sunday December 21,) will win the this second edition of the Batball MAXX.
Titans face Royals later at 2:00pm, but Day 13 had already been defined by Blasters’ resolve.
