ONSONG batsman Innocent Kaia scored his second hundred in two matches as defending champions Takashinga Patriots 1 shot to the top of the table after decimating Chiredzi Cricket Club by a hefty 192 runs at Masvingo Sports Club on Wednesday.

The Patriots were put in to bat first, posting a gigantic 332 runs, although they were bowled out on the last ball of their innings. Michael Blignaut and Joylord Gumbie chipped in with 54 and 42 runs, respectively, while leg-spinner Graeme Cremer picked four wickets to restrict Chiredzi to 140 all out inside 28.2 overs.

Kaia’s ton was even sweeter as he took off the sweetness of the Sugar Boys, Chiredzi, handing them a sour yet classy barrage of sixes and fours on his way to the tournament’s season top score, 150 from 125 balls. The star batsman amassed 16 boundaries and six maximums, occupying the crease for 178 minutes. Youthful all-rounder Michael Blignaut chipped in with a half-century at an alarming 216 strike rate, scoring 54 from just 25 deliveries. Blignaut accounted for five boundaries and three sixes, while opener and wicketkeeper Gumbie once again got a positive start before exiting the party first for a 64-ball 42.

Dereck Sadoki picked three wickets for 53 runs from his nine-over spell, as did Nkosilathi Lungu, who also took three wickets but for 53 runs from 6.2 overs. Sadoki went on to lead Chiredzi’s chase of the mountainous target before being sent back to the pavilion for 29 runs from 34 balls. Ever-green spinner Cremer ripped through Chiredzi’s batting, taking a second four-wicket haul of the campaign since returning to competitive cricket at the weekend. Cremer spun the ball to perfection, leaving the batsmen turned 360 degrees with the sheer turn on his way to four wickets for 44 runs from nine overs. Seamers Nigel Mupurura and Blignaut claimed two wickets apiece.

Takashinga Patriots 1 enjoy a superior net run rate of 3.692 against SOGO Rangers (2.953), Amakhosi 1 (1.361), and Alex (0.692), all tied up on four points with two wins out of two each.