Gladiators glide on as NPL race goes to the wire

Gladiators – 221-9 in 45 overs (Tatenda Matimbe 68*, Owen Muzondo 61, Saleem Nihute 26; Dylan Hondo 2/31, Nazim Patel 2/32, Faraz Akram 2/34)

Harare Kings – 112 all out in 35.5 overs (Cephas Zhuwao 37, Saad Khan 15, Ali Aqil 15; Ashley Mufandauya 4/11, Tatenda Matimbe 3/21, Masimba Marovatsanga 2/34)

Gladiators won by 109 runs

Gladiators are on the verge of clinching the National Premier League (NPL) title after thumping Harare Kings by 109 runs in their penultimate match at Old Hararians Sports Club on Wednesday.

They remain the only unbeaten team in the elite club competition this season with seven victories in eight games – only dropping points when one fixture finished as a tie.

However, the championship will have to be decided on the final matchday after Takashinga Patriots 1 and Westside also won their matches to ensure the race goes to the wire.

Against Harare Kings on Wednesday, Gladiators won the toss and opted to bat first.

They had a bad start though, losing Lennox Chando off the very first ball of the match, bowled by Faraz Akram, after the batter hit his own wicket.

His opening partner, Naison Mare, faced 10 balls before he was the next man to go, out for eight including a boundary, making the score 15 for two after 3.3 overs.

By the 17th over, Gladiators were reeling at 57 for five after losing Simbarashe Murumbi (14), Munyaradzi Chingorima (15) and Ashley Mufandauya, who failed to get off the mark.

Owen Muzondo and Tatenda Matimbe however came to their team’s rescue with a 92-run stand for the sixth wicket.

The pair was only parted off the last delivery of the 32nd over, as Muzondo departed for a brilliant 61, scored off 63 balls with one six and seven fours.

In the next over, the new man in, Malcom Chikuhwa, scored two before he was dismissed – 151 for seven.

However, Saleem Nihute joined Matimbe and they struck up another useful partnership, putting on 44 runs for the eighth wicket in nearly eight overs.

Nihute was given out lbw after scoring 26 runs, with four fours, off 28 balls – 195 for eight in the 41st over.

Matimbe then hit out boldly in the remaining overs to lift Gladiators to 221 for nine at the close of their innings, as he remained unbeaten with a solid 68, scored off 85 balls and including one six and six fours.

There were two wickets each to Dylan Hondo, Nazim Patel and Akram.

Harare Kings quickly lost Matthew Welch and Larvet Masunda for two and three respectively, but Cephas Zhuwao impressed as he hit three sixes and as many fours before he was the third man to depart having scored 37 off 40 balls.

His dismissal left the score at 53 for three in the 12th over.

After that there was little else to come as the chase slowly crumbled, with Saad Khan and Ali Aqil being their team’s only other batters to reach double figures with 15 runs each before Harare Kings were skittled for 112 in 35.5 overs.

Mufandauya wiped out the tail to finish with four wickets for 11 runs in his 5.5 overs, while Matimbe and Masimba Marovatsanga took three and two wickets respectively.

The victory, by 109 runs, ensured Gladiators stayed atop the points table and the favourites for the NPL title going into the last round of matches this weekend.

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Great Zimbabwe Patriots – 177-8 in 45 overs (Fungai Hlupo 43, Blessed Muzite 36, George Matanga 18; Privilege Chesa 3/35, Dion Myers 1/16, Munashe 1/31)

Takashinga Patriots 1 – 178-5 in 27.4 overs (Dion Myers 52, Tinashe Kamunhukamwe 50, Takudzwanashe Kaitano 32; Tawanda Mhere 1/12, Tawananyasha Kasondo 1/20, Costa Zhou 1/26)

Takashinga Patriots 1 won by five wickets

Fifties from Tinashe Kamunhukamwe and Dion Myers kept defending champions Takashinga Patriots 1 in the hunt for the NPL title as they defeated Great Zimbabwe Patriots by five wickets at Masvingo Sports Club on Wednesday.

On winning the toss, Great Zimbabwe Patriots elected to bat first and opened with Blessed Muzite and Nelson Chimbirimbiri.

They had scored 16 runs in five overs when Chimbirimbiri was dismissed for eight, with one four, off 18 balls.

Gabriel Jaya came in at number three, making 12 off 23 before he was run out to leave the score at 45 for two in 11.3 overs.

With 15 more runs added to the total in five overs, they lost Costa Zhou for eight, including a four, off 14 deliveries.

In the next over, Muzite’s fighting innings finally came to an end after he had crafted 36, with five fours, off 49 balls – 71 for four.

Then followed a useful partnership, as Fungai Hlupo and Gratitude Jaya added 33 for the fifth wicket before the latter was caught out for eight off 28 in the 27th over.

In the same over, the new batter in, Bob Mudzingwa, made two off two and was then sent back to the changeroom.

Hlupo was then involved in another crucial partnership, the biggest of the innings, as he together with George Matanga put on 34 for the seventh wicket, before he was dismissed for a well-played 43, scored off 58 balls with four fours – 140 for seven in the 39th over.

Matanga followed him out in the next over, departing for 18 off 41 deliveries at 145 for eight.

That over, bowled by Munashe Chipara, was however very expensive as it cost 17 runs, 13 of them being extras.

Sydney Murombo (13*) and Tawananyasha Kasondo (6*) saw out the remaining overs without further trouble for Great Zimbabwe Patriots, with the innings closing at 177 for eight in 45 overs.

Privilege Chesa was the standout performer with the ball with three wickets for 35 runs off his nine overs, while four other bowlers each claimed a wicket.

Kamunhukamwe and Takudzwanashe Kaitano got the chase underway strongly, putting on a commanding 77 runs for the first wicket.

The stand was broken in the 12th over, Kaitano out for 32, with three fours, off 42 balls.

This brought in Myers to join Kamunhukamwe and their third-wicket stand contributed 52 runs in seven overs.

Kamunhukamwe was dismissed for exactly 50, an excellent knock that came off 48 balls and included three sixes and as many fours – 129 for two in 19 overs.

Myers edged Takashinga Patriots 1 closer to victory with an equally impressive half-century of his own, scoring 52, with a single six and six sixes, off 42 deliveries before his dismissal at 154 for three in the 24th over.

Off the next ball, the new man in, Shingi Masakadza, was trapped lbw, bringing in Baxton Gopito who scored seven before also departing – 167 for five in 25 overs.

Daniel Zvidzai, with 18 not out, and Alvin Chiradza, four not out, then finished off the match as Takashinga Patriots 1 made 178 for five in 27.4 overs to seal a comfortable five-wicket victory.

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Westside – 219-9 in 42 overs (Clive Chitumba 102, Kevin Kasuza 62, Donnex Kasonkho 16; Honest Ziwira 4/39, Kenneth Waiswa 2/18, Tafadzwa Tsiga 2/26)

Takashinga Patriots 2 – 108 all out in 35.1 overs (Tariro Mukauyo 25, Nyasha Chivore 19, Charles Kunje 14; Michael Maphosa 3/9, Vincent Masekesa 3/16, Prosper Mugeri 2/13)

Westside won by 111 runs

Clive Chitumba hit a magnificent century as Westside ensured the fight for the NPL silverware goes to the wire with a convincing 111-run victory over Takashinga Patriots 2 at Mutare Sports Club on Wednesday.

Batting first after winning the toss, Westside suffered an early setback after losing Donnex Kasonkho (16) and Tinashe Chiora (0), with only 32 runs on the board within eight overs.

However, Chitumba and Kevin Kasuza quickly stabilised the innings with a 131-run stand for the third wicket that took the score to 163 before the latter perished for a brilliant 62 in the 32nd over.

He had faced 82 balls, hitting one six and five fours.

Chitumba went on to reach a well-deserved century before he became the eighth man out, for a superb 102, scored off 106 deliveries with four sixes and seven fours.

Along the way, he had lost Tinashe Muchawaya (7), Kudzai Sauramba (7), Prosper Mugeri (0) and Michael Maphosa (4) at the other end, making the total 204 for eight after 38.5 overs.

John Masara went for a golden duck, but Fortune Mhlanga and Vincent Masekesa remained standing with four and nine respectively as Westside finished their innings at 219 for eight in 42 overs.

Honest Ziwira had the best bowling figures with four wickets for 39 runs off his nine overs, while Kenneth Waiswa and Tafadzwa Tsiga picked two wickets apiece.

The chase got off to a promising start, with Tariro Mukauyo and Nyasha Chivore putting on 27 runs in 4.2 overs before Chivore was dismissed for 19, with three fours, off 15 balls.

Tinashe Nenhuzi came in next, hit a boundary and then departed for five off 11 deliveries, the score now being 50 for two in 9.4 overs.

Seven more runs were added to the total in the following four overs before Mukauyo became the third wicket to fall, having made 25, including three fours, off 45 balls.

Afterwards, the runs dried up and the wickets kept tumbling – apart from Charles Kunje’s 28-ball 14, no other batter was to reach double figures as the Takashinga Patriots 2 innings folded for 108 in 35.1 overs, giving Westside a massive victory by 111 runs.

Maphosa and Masekesa each bagged three wickets, with Mugeri claiming two.

Meanwhile, in the other NPL matches played on Wednesday, Lions beat Nortonians by 56 runs, while Bulawayo Athletic Club got the better of city rivals Amakhosi by seven runs.

2021/22 NATIONAL PREMIER LEAGUE POINTS TABLE