Uprising remain unbeaten as Amakhosi finally register first win

Amakhosi – 252 all out in 41.3 overs (Bright Phiri 74, Tinashe Mujuru 32, Thabo Mboyi 26; Munashe Maworere 3/52, Jimmy Nyangoni 3/52, Elvin Nxumalo 2/26)

Golden Bulls – 104 all out in 22.3 overs (Kelvin Mabvute 42, Dereck Sadoki 26, Elvin Nxumalo 7; Tawanda Maposa 4/19, Thabo Mboyi 3/26, Mzingaye Mdlongwa 1/7)

Amakhosi won by 148 runs

A fine innings of 74 by Bright Phiri set Amakhosi on their way to their first victory of this National Premier League (NPL) campaign, by the handsome margin of 148 runs over Golden Bulls at Masvingo Sports Club on Sunday.

This match was played between two teams who had both lost all their previous fixtures in this competition, so the result was certain to bring joy and relief to one side.

Amakhosi made a bad start, losing three wickets for 39 runs, but then Phiri, batting at number four, began to change the game with his fine innings, which came off 73 balls and contained three sixes and seven fours.

He received a little help from the middle order, but a big score was still not assured when he was out at 159 for seven.

Then came a most welcome partnership of 54 for the eighth wicket between Tinashe Mujuru with 32 and Ashley Phiri with 24, and Thabo Mboyi with an aggressive 26 finally took the total to a healthy 252 all out.

The Golden Bulls innings was virtually a one-man show, that man being Kelvin Mabvute, who scored a gallant 42 before being second out at 52.

The next seven men scored a mere six runs among them to the bowling of Mboyi and Tawanda Maposa, and eight wickets were down for 57 before some courageous batting from Dereck Sadoki at least gave Bulls the consolation of passing 100.

Mboyi took three wickets for 36 runs and Maposa four for 19 as Amakhosi finally had something to celebrate.

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Uprising – 251 all out in 38.5 overs (Craig Ervine 95, Aisha Chibanda 36, Tariro Makauyo 34; Definate Mawadzi 3/60, Frank Mazviita 2/40, Fortune Mhlanga 1/27)

Westside – 235 all out in 41.5 overs (Kevin Kasuza 114, Tinashe Chiorah 40, Vincent Masekesa 22; Dylan Hondo 4/26, Ryan Burl 4/62, Courage Gwarada 1/30)

Uprising won by 16 runs

Two fine innings by Craig Ervine and Kevin Kasuza were the highlights of this match between two NPL pacesetters at Old Hararians Sports Club on Sunday, where Uprising eventually triumphed over Westside by 16 runs.

Ervine made a major impact for the first time in the tournament as he rose to the occasion with a fine 95 off 89 balls, with a six and 12 fours, as Uprising were put in to bat.

Tariro Makauyo with 34 and Aisha Chibanda with 36 were his main partners, but Westside did well to bowl their opponents out for 251 in only 38.5 overs, with Definate Mawadzi taking three wickets.

Tinashe Chiorah gave Westside a dashing start with 40 off 32 balls, while Kasuza came in at 54 for two and saw the fifth wicket fall at 80.

He found two valuable partners in Vincent Masekesa (22) and Prosper Mugeri in stands worth 61 and 63 respectively, and a close finish was in prospect when Ryan Burl struck a vital blow by taking a return catch to dismiss him at 226 for eight.

Kasuza had faced 117 balls and hit two sixes and 13 fours on his way to 114.

The last three men were unable to reach the target and the innings ended at 235.

Dylan Hondo did most of the early damage with four wickets for 26, while Burl wrapped up the tail with four for 62.

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Takashinga Patriots 1 – 264 all out in 43.2 overs (Emmanuel Bawa 109, Chamu Chibhabha 60, Cunningham Ncube 19; Thamsanqa Nunu 4/58, Prince Kaunda 2/39, Jeffrey Mhuriyengwe 2/51)

Bulawayo Athletic Club – 178 all out in 39.2 overs (Tafara Mupariwa 50, Vitalis Buwu 26, Flemming Nkomo 19; Priviledge Chesa 4/47, Marshall Takodza 3/29, Tapiwa Mufudza 2/34)

Takashinga Patriots 1 won by 86 runs

A score of 109 by Emmanuel Bawa and a four-wicket haul for Priviledge Chesa were the main factors in Takashinga Patriots 1’s 86-run victory over Bulawayo Athletic Club in their NPL match at Kwekwe Sports Club on Sunday.

Bawa made Bulawayo Athletic Club (BAC) regret their decision to send Takashinga in to bat when he opened the innings and made his runs off 97 balls, with a six and 11 fours.

Chamu Chibhabha showed that he still has what it takes by scoring 60 off 53 balls (a six and seven fours), and the pair put on 110 for the third wicket in less than 17 overs.

The tail, hitting out for quick runs, did little and Thamsanqa Nunu picked up four easy wickets for 58 runs as Takashinga were dismissed for 264.

This was too hard a task for BAC, although they reached 109 before the fourth wicket fell, with the captain Tafara Mupariwa doing his best with 50 runs off 70 balls.

Chesa’s bowling accounted for the middle-order batters and he finished with four wickets for 47 runs.

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Rainbow – 241 all out in 44.3 overs (Gary Chirimuuta 63, Kudakwashe Munyede 55, Tino Chiwara 28; Keith Jaure 4/44, Wallace Mubaiwa 2/43, Takudzwa Chataira 2/55) 

Takashinga Patriots 2 – 245-3 in 42.2 overs (Aliakbar Hamid 65, Baxon Gopito 50, Prince Masvaure 41*; Muhammad Zaheer Tufail 2/33, Taru Munashe 1/45)

Takashinga Patriots 2 won by seven wickets 

There was another Takashinga victory at their home ground as the Patriots 2 team beat Rainbow by seven wickets, thanks largely to a century opening partnership between Baxon Gopito and Aliakbar Hamid.

Rainbow, put in to bat, lost their first three wickets to Keith Jaure and had five down for 79 before Kudakwashe Munyede joined Gary Chirimuuta at the crease.

They put on 114 together, with Chirimuuta making 63 off 70 balls and Munyede 55 off 67.

The rest of the team took the score to 241 before the last wicket fell to Jaure in the 45th over – his figures were four for 44.

Gopito and Hamid then made a strong reply for the home side as they scored 101 together in only 12.2 overs, Gopito then being dismissed for 50 off 41 balls.

Hamid continued until he had made 65 off 65 balls out of 159.

Prince Masvaure (41 not out) and Knowledge Kaia (39 not out) finished the match for Takashinga with ease, their steady unbroken partnership making 79 runs in 17 overs, having no cause to hurry as their top batters had given them plenty of time.

 

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