GUPTA Upanga SC-B cricketers have tightened their grip on the top position of the 2026 Tanzania Cricket Association (TCA) DC League 1-T20, having defeated Gymkhana by three runs in Dar es Salaam on Saturday.

The clash’s eventual winners came out victorious through the Duckworth-Lewis (D/L) system, as the opponents failed to reach a revised target of 128 runs in the allotted 17 overs.

Having secured the opportunity to bat first, the Shivan Kamania-led Gupta Upanga SC-B chose to bat, amassing an imposing 156 runs for the loss of three wickets in the allotted 20 overs.

A scintillating batting showing by experienced cricketers, Ashish Kamania and Jatin Darji, played a vital role in the Gupta Upanga SC-B cricketers’ quest for a commanding figure during their turn with the bat.

Ashish, deployed as the opener, made full use of his experience to ensure Gupta Upanga SC-B’s plan to amass a bigger number of runs is fulfilled, having nailed unbeaten 87 runs off 60 balls.

The experienced cricketer made no secret of his determination to keep his team in the game with well-calculated shots, with his stint consisting of 10 boundaries and three sixes. 

Ashish duly made up for a less convincing outing that his fellow opener, Nishikant Sahoo, had experienced- having been dismissed with a mere four runs to his name.

Even though the batting team faced setbacks following the short stays by the other top-order batsmen, Ashish Rai and Baraka Fredy, the other experienced cricketer, Jatin, had the squad still looking strong for the remainder of the innings.

Jatin, who took the crease when Gupta Upanga SC-B was 38-3 in the fifth over, hammered unbeaten 52 runs, forging a solid stand with Ashish to ensure the outfit comfortably wound up the turn with the bat.

Rai and Fredy did not manage to reach double-digit figures, having notched five runs and one run respectively.

Although they worked hard when they took the field, Gymkhana’s bowling unit members, led by Zimbabweans Jeremiah Makanya and Aisah Chibanda, could not trouble the well-drilled Gupta Upanga SC-B batsmen who were solid for the rest of the innings.

Chasing a revised target of 128 runs in 17 overs, Gymkhana- skippered by experienced cricketer Amit Raghuvanshi- put up a spirited showing but fell short, having scored 125/5 in 17 overs.

Harsheel Shah, also an experienced cricketer, fought to stage a comeback for Gymkhana after scoring unbeaten 32 runs which included two fours but could not help his team reach the target.

Raghuvanshi, assigned as an opener, put up solid knocks and garnered 27 runs, leaving Gymkhana at 49-2 upon his dismissal after 6.3 overs.

His fellow opening batsman, Nassib Kelvin, had a frustrating stint with the bat, considering that he ended up making his way back to the pavilion early on with just three runs to his name from seven knocks.

Encouraging contributions by Rizwan Muhammad (19 runs, three fours), Makanya (17 runs, two fours), and Chibanda (16 runs, two fours) had Gymkhana reaching triple-digit figures, albeit the team failed to turn tables on Gupta Upanga SC-B.

Himanshu Darji solidly led Gupta Upanga SC-B to curtail Gymkhana’s spirited chase, hauling three wickets whilst conceding 32 runs- such statistics saw the cricketer notch an 8.00 economy rate.

Table-topping Gupta Upanga SC-B is unbeaten after taking part in three fixtures, boasting six points and a 0.670 Net Run Rate (NRR).

In Gupta Upanga SC-B’s previous two matches, the team secured commanding victories over Caravans B and Shree Kutchi Leva Patel Sports Centre (SKLPSC) A.

The showdown leaders had opened their campaign with aplomb, clobbering Caravans B by 30 runs in a clash which was dominated by the former.

Gupta Upanga SC-B scored 123/4 in 20 overs once they batted first, with Fredy (37 runs), Ashish (30 runs), and Jatin (25 runs) starring for the squad when it took the crease.

Caravans B- skippered by Suraj Kumar- found the going tough once they took the crease, having been skittled for 93 runs in 16.5 overs.

Top-oder batsman, Manoj Kumar, top-scored for Caravans B with his 24 runs which included three fours.

In the match against SKLPSC A, Gupta Upanga SC-B commanded a three-wicket victory, with the latter exhibit its aggressiveness with the ball.

The Sailesh Varsani-led SKLPSC A went in to bat first, ending up with 121 runs for the loss of nine wickets in 20 overs, as Wicket-Keeper-cum-batsman Anil Pindoriya top-scored with his 18 runs off 27 balls.

Gupta Upanga SC-B’s Fredy and Virendra Kamania did all they could to have their outfit showcasing stiff opposition when fielding, as Fredy garnered 2-15 and the experienced Virendra secured 2-23 runs.

Chasing 122 runs to come out victorious, Gupta Upanga SC-B went on to register 124/7 in 19.4 overs to grab a second straight win. Jatin (27 runs) and Omary Ramadhan (24 runs) starred for the club.

The TCA-organized league has attracted 10 clubs battling it out in 20-over encounters, as the national cricket body boosts efforts to successfully improve the