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UP Brij Stars continued their strong start to the Big Cricket League 2026 with a comprehensive 24-run victory over Northern Challengers at the Greater Noida Sports Complex on Friday, June 5. After being asked to bat first, UP Brij Stars recovered from an early collapse to post 166/7 in their 20 overs before restricting Northern Challengers to 142/9.
The win was set up by impressive half-centuries from Jermaine Blackwood and Chirag Gandhi, who steadied the innings after the team found itself in trouble inside the powerplay. Their efforts with the bat were later backed up by a disciplined bowling display led by Jatin Mavi as UP Brij Stars secured another valuable victory in the tournament.
Jermaine Blackwood and Chirag Gandhi rescue UP Brij Stars after early collapse
UP Brij Stars suffered a nightmare start after electing to bat first. Kennar Lewis was dismissed on the very first ball of the innings, while Shubham Singh departed for just two runs. Rohit Krishnan's dismissal for 11 left the side struggling at 33/3 in the fifth over.
With the innings in danger of falling apart, Jermaine Blackwood and Chirag Gandhi joined forces to rebuild the innings. The experienced pair absorbed the pressure before taking the attack back to the bowlers through the middle overs.
Blackwood played a crucial knock of 57 runs off 43 balls, hitting seven fours and one six. Gandhi matched his partner's contribution with a well-crafted 59 off 43 deliveries that included six boundaries and a six. Their partnership helped UP Brij Stars cross the 100-run mark and laid the platform for a competitive total.
Vikas Sikarwar chipped in with 15 runs from 11 balls, while Jeevan Mendis remained unbeaten on 11 off seven deliveries to provide the finishing touches. UP Brij Stars eventually finished on 166/7 from their allotted 20 overs.
For Northern Challengers, Subodh Bhati, Mujeeb, and Bhanwar Panwar picked up two wickets each, while Ankul Yadav claimed one wicket.
Jatin Mavi leads bowling charge for UP Brij Stars
Defending 167, UP Brij Stars struck at regular intervals and never allowed Northern Challengers to gain control of the chase. Chris Gayle and Phil Mustard got starts at the top, scoring 13 and 16 respectively, but both departed before converting them into substantial scores.
Angelo Perera looked the most comfortable batter in the chase and scored 32 runs off 24 balls, while Rishi Dhawan contributed 21 from 17 deliveries. However, Northern Challengers kept losing wickets at crucial stages, making the chase increasingly difficult.
Jatin Mavi emerged as the standout performer with the ball for UP Brij Stars. The all-rounder picked up three wickets for 38 runs and removed key middle-order batters during a decisive spell.
Saurin Thakar also impressed with figures of 2/23 from four overs, while Jatin Saini claimed two wickets. Miguel Cummins and Jeevan Mendis chipped in with one wicket each as UP Brij Stars tightened their grip on the contest.
Angelo Perera's 32 goes in vain as Northern Challengers fall short
Northern Challengers were in the contest at different stages but failed to stitch together a match-defining partnership. After losing their top order cheaply, they relied heavily on Angelo Perera and Rishi Dhawan to keep the chase alive.
Perera's 32 and Dhawan's 21 briefly raised hopes of a comeback, but UP Brij Stars continued to strike at regular intervals. Once Dhawan and Perera were dismissed, the chase lost momentum completely.
Subodh Bhati played an entertaining cameo of 14 runs off just eight balls, but the lower order could not provide enough support. Northern Challengers eventually finished on 142/9 in 20 overs, falling 24 runs short of the target.
The victory was built around the brilliant batting efforts of Jermaine Blackwood and Chirag Gandhi before the bowlers, led by Jatin Mavi, completed a professional all-round performance for UP Brij Stars.
