A busy weekend of fixtures in the Coppa d’Italia clarified the position in some of the eight groups, but in several others the fight is still on to determine who will qualify for the last sixteen.
In Group A leaders Pioltello were not in action, and challengers Fresh Tropical and Milan United took full advantage, both of them posting double victories over Bergamo. Torino had an even better outcome in Group B, beating both Cantù and Pak Lions Ghedi twice and moving to the top of the group table.
Group C remains one of the most competitive, with all five teams recording at least one victory: leaders Brescia beat their local rivals Janjua by 24 runs, but Janjua shared the points in their contest with Albano, each winning one game, while Trentino Aquila and Bergamo United similarly took one win apiece from their series.
Kings XI had the best outcome from the weekend in Group D, their bowlers carrying them to two wins against Pianoro and then, after they had lost by eight wickets to Bologna, defending successfully in the second game to win by one run in a thrilling finish. Group leaders Cricket Stars maintained their position with two victories over Royal Parma,
In Group E Jinnah were another team to sit out the weekend, and they saw their rivals locked in a tight contest for second place. Lonigo improved their position with a double victory over bottom side Venezia, but Padova and neighbours Royal Padova had a win apiece in their double-header.
In Group F, where there are only three contenders, Baracca Prato consolidated their lead by beating Perugia twice. Roma, like Torino, had four wins to show for their weekend in Group G, beating both leaders Rome Bangla and Kent Lanka, while Bangla kept their hopes live with two wins over Capannelle.
Asian Latina threw Group H wide open by beating leaders Napoli twice, while Royal Roma and Lux Roma had to be content with a win each.
Win for Antwerp Indians in Belgium
In the only match played in Belgium’s National League Division 1 Antwerp Indians posted their second win of the season by beating Ostend by six wickets at Wilrijk.
Ostend got off to a rollicking start with Sharbi Khel Murad’s 29-ball 53 which included five sixes, but they were unable to maintain that momentum and were dismissed for 128.
The Antwerpers needed just 19.1 overs to complete their victory, with Shubham Jain not out on 32.
The climax of the competition will come over the next two weeks, with Beveren, currently second, playing Antwerp Indians on 9 October and Ostend the following Sunday, while leaders Ostend Exiles, with just one match left to play, will take on bottom side Hasselt on 10 October.
Swiss champions Cossonay lose their final game
A sensational innings from Power Winterthur opener Osama Mahmood propelled his side to a seven-wicket victory over Cossonay at Power’s Deutweg ground on Sunday, but Cossonay had already made sure of the Swiss 40-over championship.
Mahmood’s unbeaten 123 came from only 61 deliveries and included eleven fours and ten sixes, as Power lived up to their name by scoring at more than 11 runs an over in posting 203 for three.
Earlier, Aidan Andrews had made a more sedate 105 for the visitors, but with Aman Singh taking five for 19 for Power Cossonay were all out for 202.
In normal circumstances that might have been a competitive total, but Mahmood’s knock was anything but normal, and it ensured that Power would finish the season in fourth place on the table.
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