Gladiators – 182 all out in 42.6 overs (Marshall Matimbe 53*, Malcolm Chikuwa 37, Tinoda Chando 28; Tapiwa Mufudza 3/19, Cuthbert Musoko 3/40, Roy Kaia 3/49). Takashinga – 96 all out in 24.1 overs (Tafadzwa Tsiga 41, Cuthbert Musoko 18, Kudzai Maunze 8; Malcolm Chikuwa 4/15, Owen Muzondo 4/42, Masimba Maruvatsanga 2/20). Gladiators won by 86 runs

Malcolm Chikuwa had a day to celebrate at Takashinga Sports Club on Sunday, when he played a major part with bat and ball in bringing about National Premier League (NPL) table-toppers Takashinga’s shock defeat by Gladiators.

Gladiators, who began the club competition at the bottom of the table with three successive defeats, ended Takashinga’s run of four successive victories by beating them by a remarkable 86 runs.They batted first and were in trouble when they had five wickets down for 62, three of them to the off-spin of Tapiwa Mufudza.

Then Chikuwa joined Marshall Matimbe at the crease, and the pair added 82 runs together for the sixth wicket, 37 to Chikuwa with Matimbe going on to record an unbeaten 53. Takashinga were no doubt confident of chasing down their target of 183, even though it was larger than they had expected. But Chikuwa was in form with the ball too and, opening the bowling with Masimba Maruvatsanga, the pair had Takashinga reeling at 22 for four wickets. They never recovered, with only Tafadzwa Tsiga of the leading batsmen standing up to them and their replacement Owen Muzondo with a fighting innings of 41.The only other batsman to reach double figures was the No 10, Cuthbert Musoko, who hammered 18 off 11 balls when all was lost.

Takashinga could not even reach 100, while Gladiators were jubilant as they now celebrated their third successive victory — and over the table-leaders, too.

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Harare Kings – 234-9 wickets in 45 overs (Cephas Zhuwao 53, Nick Welch 50, Zaheer Tufail 36; Brian Mudzinganyama 3/41, Brandon Mavuta 3/46, Victor Nyauchi 2/43). Rainbow Sharks – 182 all out in 38.4 overs (Brian Mudzinganyama 43, Robertson Chinyengetere 24, Kuda Munyede 20; Taun Harrison 3/35, Brad Evans 2/25, Patrick Mambo 2/30). Harare Kings won by 52 runs

Cephas Zhuwao, returning to form, and Nick Welsh, returning to Zimbabwe from the UK, both scored fifties to give Harare Kings a winning advantage over Rainbow Sharks in their NPL clash at Old Hararians Sports Club on Sunday.

Zaheer Tufail, opening the Kings’ batting with Prince Masvaure, gave his team a brisk start by hammering the bowling of Daniel Jakiel and Victor Nyauchi in fine style. The score reached 37 in five overs, but then Jakiel bowled Masvaure for 13.

There followed a good start between Tufail and Welch, but Tufail became rather bogged down against the spinners, and Brandon Mavuta eventually trapped him lbw for 38. Welch made a good 50, taking the score to 150 with Zhuwao, who began carefully after some low scores, but was soon back to his buccaneering ways with some powerful hits to score 53 off 57 balls, with five sixes and two fours.

Brian Mudzinganyama dismissed both of them in quick succession, and caused a middle-order collapse as the score went from 168 for four to 188 for seven. Patrick Mambo hit boldly to score 26 from 19 balls, and the eventual total was 234 for nine wickets.

The spinners Mavuta and Mudzinganyama were the most successful bowlers, taking three wickets each. Mavuta was promoted to open the Rainbow innings, and in the first over pulled two short balls from Brad Evans for four apiece.

Evans eventually struck back by trapping Mavuta lbw for 17, and then removed Lavert Musunda for 11 to reduce Rainbow to 44 for two. Mudzinganyama was the key man for Rainbow, as he was batting in fine form, although he could not find a durable partner at the other end.

The key moment came when Johnathan Campbell trapped Mudzinganyama lbw for 43, with the score 114 for five, and Rainbow knew they had a problem. The experienced Robertson Chinyengetere was still there, playing with care, but he could not do the job by himself.

Kuda Munyede knocked up a quick 20, but he is not a man of big scores, and as wickets fell steadily, Chinyengetere might have done well to take some risks, as it was the only slender hope of victory now. He tried to do this to some extent with the last man Jakiel in, but it was too little and too late, as he was caught for 24 as Rainbow went down for 182.

The off-spinner Taun Harrison dismissed him and so finished with three late wickets. Kings did try to help their opponents by bowling 20 wides during the innings, with the spinners being as bad as the pacemen.

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Queens – 94 all out in 34.1 overs (Simbarashe Haukozi 27, Charles Kunje 14, Mhuriyengwe 12; Jabulisa Tshuma 3/11, Kudakwashe Macheka 2/19, Davis Murwendo 1/16)
MidWest – 96-6 in 22.1 overs (Remembrance Nyathi 31*, Takudzwanashe Kaitano 15, Manson Chikowero 12*; Sheunopa Musekwa 3/38, Tanatswa Bechani 2/33) MidWest won by four wickets

Jabulisa Tshuma led the way again for MidWest as they secured an easy victory over Queens at Kwekwe Sports Club. The Bulawayo-based club lost their first three wickets, two to Tshuma, for just three runs when they batted first, and never recovered. Six wickets were down for 35, and eight for 72, but Simbarashe Haukozi regained a little respect for his team by scoring 27. The eventual total was 94, giving MidWest a simple target.

They perhaps took this target too lightly against some fine bowling by Sheunopa Musekwa, as within 12 overs they had 63 runs on the board, but five wickets were down. Remembrance Nyathi came to the rescue, though, and played with care to score 31 not out off 54 balls and take his team home.

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Easterns – 169 all out in 28.2 overs (Tinashe Muchawaya 65, Shadreck Shawarira 19, Baxton Gopito 17; Ernest Masuku 4/36, Ainsley Ndlovu 3/43, Arnold Shara 2/19) Amakhosi – 170-4 in 29.3 overs (Bright Phiri 97*, Nkosana Mpofu 30, Thamsanqa Nunu 24*; Clive Chitumba 3/48, Kevin Kasuza 1/32). Amakhosi won by six wickets

Bright Phiri of Amakhosi continued his fine run of batting form as his team returned to winning ways after two defeats, and was unfortunate just to miss scoring a century at Masvingo Sports Club. Easterns, after beginning the season with two victories, have faded in recent matches, and they batted very poorly this morning, losing eight wickets for 74 runs.

They were saved from humiliation only by a powerful attacking innings from their No 9, Tinashe Muchawaya, who hammered 65 from just 40 balls, with five sixes and four fours. Shadreck Shawarira at No 10 supported him well by scoring 19, the pair adding 90 runs together and giving their bowlers – including themselves — something to work with by taking the total to 169.

However their fine batting perhaps tired them, and Amakhosi scored freely from their bowling as they chased down their target. Nkosana Mpofu and Phiri put on 111 in 18 overs together for the first wicket, and though four wickets fell in quick succession, three of them to Clive Chitumba, Phiri was still there and batting strongly.

He found a reliable partner in Thamsanqi Nunu, and the pair scored the last 46 runs together to give their team victory. As a result of today’s matches, MidWest and Takashinga are again joint top of the table with 50 points each, and both have one bye in the final two rounds to be played.

On Wednesday, Takashinga play Amakhosi, who have 35 points and are the only team who theoretically could overtake them if they win both their final matches, and the top two both lose. MidWest have a bye on Wednesday, as do Takashinga next Sunday, when MidWest play Great Zimbabwe, who are the bottom team on the log, with only one victory to their credit.

If there is a tie at the top of the table at the close of the competition, Takashinga will be declared winners as they have much the better net run rate.

2020/21 National Premier League Points Table