- Royals 116/5 in 17.0 Overs ( Jonathan Ssebanja 41, Anas Baig 39; Mathew Musinguzi 3/17)
- Blasters 91/5 in 10.5 Overs (Simon Ssesazi 48, Abraiz Mir Ali 26; Ayub Rashid 2/5)
Blasters won by 5 wickets (D/L)
Simon Ssesazi may have missed out on a half-century, but his fluent 48 was all Blasters needed to ease past Royals by five wickets in a rain-reduced match at Lakeside Oval on Wednesday morning.
It was Blasters’ second win in three games, a steady recovery after their opening day defeat, and once again Ssesazi set the tone in a chase that could have become tricky.
After a delayed start, Royals were sent in and never really settled despite Jonathan Ssebanja’s unbeaten 41.
Early wickets left them wobbling at 7 for 2, and although Anas Baig tried to rebuild with 37 off 30, boundaries were hard to find.
At 85 for 5, Royals looked in danger of crumbling before Ssebanja’s late push dragged them to 116 for 5 from 17 overs.
Mathew Musinguzi was the standout with the ball for Blasters, taking 3 for 17, while Yashashvi Joshi added two more.
Ssesazi began confidently, driving sweetly and punishing anything loose on his way to a 34-ball knock. Even when wickets started falling, he kept Blasters comfortably ahead.
Abraiz Mir Ali added a brisk 26, but a brief collapse at 87 gave Royals hope. Joshi and Abong Colline finished the job in the 11th over, closing on 91 for 5.
Ayub Rashid’s 2 for 5 in a single over was the pick of the Royals bowling, while Wazombe and Ssebanja claimed one each, but Ssesazi’s early control had already done the damage.
Attention now turns to the afternoon fixture as unbeaten Gladiators take on Strikers, with momentum very much up for grabs in Entebbe.
