Mburo Blasters tightened their grip on second position on the Men’s Great Lakes T20 tournament log after successfully defending their total to defeat Bunyonyi Warriors by 20 runs.

Bunyonyi electing to bowl first on the morning of Day 5, Mburo Blasters set an aggressive tone early as opener Charles Musemeza hit a quick 37 off 21 balls.

The top order then experienced a massive surge in power when Fahad Mutagana blasted 26 runs off just 7 deliveries, followed closely by skipper Riazat Ali Shah, who maintained blistering momentum by striking 5 sixes in a rapid 10-ball 33.

Key to amassing a 105-run opening partnership was Anas Baig, who smashed 62 off 30 balls

The Bunyonyi Warriors eventually mounted a fierce middle-innings fightback through disciplined bowling, led by Adam Kassim, who tore through the lineup with an exceptional spell of 3 for 18, and Johnathan Nyiiro, who picked up 3 for 49.

However, crucial late-order resistance from Yashashvi Joshi and David Wabwire, who contributed 29 runs each, successfully pushed the Blasters to a formidable 197 before they were finally bowled out with just one ball remaining in the innings.

The Bunyonyi Warriors launched a commanding response to open the second innings, powered by a spectacular 105-run opening partnership between Anas Baig, who smashed 62 off 30 balls, and Robinson Obuya, who anchored the chase with 64 off 42 balls.

The definitive turning point of the match arrived in the 9th over when the Blasters finally broke the opening stand, triggering a vital run-out that completely shifted momentum.

Capitalising on this breakthrough, the Mburo bowling unit tightened its stranglehold on the game as Hamid Munigwa claimed 2 for 29.

At the same time, Steven Wabwose delivered a decisive spell of death bowling to finish with 3 for 24.

This clinical bowling performance stalled the chase entirely, making the required run rate too high for the Warriors’ middle and lower order and restricting them to 177 for 7 as the final over concluded.

Ultimately, Mburo Blasters walked away with a 20-run victory after scoring 197 in 19.5 overs and restricting the Bunyonyi Warriors to 177 for 7 across their full 20 overs.