- Gladiators 107/10 in 19.5 overs (Dan Keith Amani 28, Edwin Nuwagaba 18; Aloysious Odoi 4/24, Rashid Ayub 3/14)
- Royals 100/10 in 19.3 overs (Anas Baig 37, Cyrus Kakuru 10; Amani 3/8)
Gladiators won by 7 runs
Gladiators strengthened their hold on second place in the Batball MAXX Challenge Cup Day 9 with a tenacious seven run win over Royals in a low scoring contest at the Lakeside Oval in Entebbe on Monday afternoon.
After winning the toss, captain Gerald Olipa chose to bat on a difficult surface and quickly found his decision tested.
Royals’ bowler Aloysious Odoi ripped through the top order with a hostile spell, claiming a hat-trick and finishing with four wickets as Gladiators slipped to 23 for 4 inside the powerplay.
With the innings wobbling, Keith Amani brought calm and control. He anchored the recovery with a composed 28 off 34 balls, while Edwin Nuwagaba chipped in with a lively 18.
The resistance was brief but important, lifting Gladiators to 107 before they were bowled out in 19.5 overs.
Royals approached the chase carefully, with Perry Wazombe and Anas Baig steadying the innings early on.
Momentum shifted when Suleman Sharif bowled a wicket-maiden in the powerplay, tightening the screws and triggering a middle order slide.
Baig battled on for 37 off 38 balls and kept Royals in the hunt, but wickets continued to fall. Once he was dismissed in the 17th over, the chase lost direction.
Amani then finished the job with the ball, tearing through the lower order with figures of 3 for 8 in just 1.3 overs and adding a sharp run out to cap a fine all round display. Royals were dismissed for 100 in 19.3 overs, seven runs short of the target.
The win displayed Gladiators’ resilience and Amani’s growing influence in the tournament. His impact with bat, ball and in the field earned him the Player of the Match award.
Earlier, Strikers marked the start of week two with a commanding 39-run victory over Titans.
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The tournament continues on Tuesday, 16 December, with Strikers facing Blasters at 10:00am, before Royals return against Warriors at 2:00pm.
