The SG Crescents put the SG Stars to the sword in their second encounter in the Mariners’ EPS T20 Series played on the 28th of February 2019 at IA. Batting first, the SG Stars looked to have got the run rate going but lost wickets at regular intervals to be 44/3 in 6.5 over, dampening what would have been a great start to the powerplay. Opening bowlers James Cox and Charles Waiswa were miserly in their opening overs while first change bowler, Murtaza was expensive and gave the SG Stars a way back into the game.
Mutreja and Shinde looked to be formidable pair in the middle and put the SG Star innings back on track but Roger Mukasa, handed the ball to bowl his ‘Sunil Narine’ actioned off spinners snared his second victim in Mutreja 27 (25). Mukasa then went on to do further damage in eating into the middle order taking two more crucial wickets of Dixit and Rangaswamy, both capable of doing damage with the bat. The final blow to the SG Stars was losing the dangerous looking Shinde for 25 (22) as they folded for a paltry 93 in just 14.3 overs. Mukasa making a habit of being a thorn in the side for the SG Stars,having hurt them with a monster innings in the last match between the two and this time showing his guile with the ball in taking 4/11 in his 4 overs.
A deflated SG Stars took to the field to defend their total and found some life in seeing the back of Shahrukh Dhar, albeit retiring hurt after being struck by his fellow countryman Husnain Shah on his right hand. Mukasa out next being run out for the third time in the series for 17 (22) and with Aritra Dutta and Aryaman Uchil also departing with the score on 43/3, the SG Stars felt that they had the foot in the door and could snatch an unlikely win. However, the stable pair of Manpreet Singh (30* off 22) and Karthik Subramanian (14* off 16) entered the fray and the stabilised the Crescents innings with responsible shot making and took the men in orange home in 13.2 overs for a 7-wicket victory. Uganda’s Roger Mukasa once again named Man of the Match in an encounter against the SG Stars and proving to be a key player for his team the SG Crescents with both bat and ball.
