Gladiators upset Takashinga to maintain perfect start

Takashinga Patriots 2 – 189-6 in 45 overs (Aliakbar Hamid 61, Prince Masvaure 56, Knowledge Kaia 26; Owen Muzondo 1/22, Munashe Zata 1/26, Malcom Chikuhwa 1/28)

Gladiators – 190-5 in 41.4 overs (Ashley Mufandauya 72, Owen Muzondo 36, Malcom Chikuhwa 29*; Takudzwa Chataira 2/29, Keith Jaure 1/21, Daich Nyandoro 1/33)

Gladiators won by five wickets

A fine innings of 72 runs by Ashley Mufandauya enabled Gladiators to inflict a rare defeat on a Takashinga team on their own ground on Thursday, winning their National Premier League (NPL) match by five wickets.

Takashinga Patriots 2, put in to bat, struggled to score quickly enough against good bowling.

Their opening batter, Aliakbar Hamid, stayed in until the 32nd over to score 61 off 101 balls, while Prince Masvaure took 80 balls to score 56.

None of the other batters were able to dominate the bowling and after 45 overs there were only 189 runs on the board with six wickets down.

The most economical bowler was Owen Muzondo, who took one wicket for only 22 runs in his nine overs.

Gladiators did not make a good start, losing their first three wickets for 43 runs.

Then Mufandauya became the first batter in the match to master the bowling, and his 72 off 66 balls, helped by Muzondo (36) and Malcom Chikuhwa (29 not out), took Gladiators to a fine victory with 20 balls to spare.

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Rainbow – 245-8 in 45 overs (Lavert Masunda 45, Daniel Jakiel 39*, Tino Chiwara 31; Ernest Masuku 2/71, Keith Ndlovu 1/21, Admire Mupembe 1/23)

Amakhosi – 133 all out in 25 overs (Thabo Mboyi 28, Ashley Phiri 24, Mzingaye Mdlongwa 18; Patrick Nyamapfeni 5/24, Taru Munashe 3/32, Kudakwashe Munyede 1/5)

Rainbow won by 112 runs

Fine bowling from Taru Munashe (three wickets for 32) and Patrick Nyamapfeni (five for 24) saw Rainbow through to a convincing 112-run victory over Amakhosi in their NPL meeting at Kwekwe Sports Club on Thursday.

Rainbow, opting to bat, lost a wicket to Ernest Masuku with the first ball of the match, but after that turned in a consistent batting performance, the next seven batters all reaching double figures.

The top scorer was Lavert Masunda with a steady 45 off 76 balls, while the impetus was provided by Tino Chiwara (31 off 20), Muhammad Zaheer Tufail (30 off 23) and finally Daniel Jakiel (39 not out off 38).

The total reached 245 for eight wickets, and it soon looked a winning score when Amakhosi lost their first six wickets in reply for only 55 runs.

Munashe perhaps deserves the greatest credit, as he shot down the first three wickets for only five runs among them, and Nyamapfeni took advantage of this to take five more very cheaply.

Some resistance came later from Ashley Phiri (24) and Thabo Mboyi (28), enabling their team to finish with a total of 133.

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Bulawayo Athletic Club – 242-8 in 45 overs (Tafara Mupariwa 134*, Gift Mavhaire 37, Kudakwashe Kaitano 19; Patrick Chinengundu 4/32, Donald Tiripano 1/47, Tatenda Mupunga 1/49)

Mutare Sports Club – 245-2 in 41.1 overs (Nigel Bonyongwe 107*, Clive Chitumba 89, Kudzai Sauramba 18; Thamsanqa Nunu 1/42, Prince Kaunda 1/51)

Mutare Sports Club won by eight wickets

Nigel Bonyongwe’s 107 not out for Mutare Sports Club eventually trumped Tafara Mupariwa’s 134 not out for Bulawayo Athletic Club, as the former clinched a fine run-chase by eight wickets in their NPL fixture at Masvingo Sports Club on Thursday.

Put in to bat, the BAC innings was largely a one-man show as, apart from 37 by the opening batter Gift Mavhaire, none of the other batters reached 20.

After Mavhaire went out at 86 for two, Mupariwa fought a lone battle, and did it magnificently, scoring his unbeaten 134 from 128 balls with 18 fours, the total being 242 for eight wickets.

Patrick Chinengundu was the best bowler, breaking through the middle order with four wickets for 32 runs, but he could not remove Mupariwa.

Mutare opened their innings with Clive Chitumba and Bonyongwe, and their partnership of exactly 200 in 35.2 overs virtually settled the match.

Chitumba, scoring slightly faster than Bonyongwe, made 89 off 98 balls, with four sixes and seven four wickets, while Bonyongwe hit 14 fours in making his 107 off 131 balls.

The eventual total was 245 for two wickets, and Mutare won by 23 balls in hand.

 

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