DEFENDING Champions Takashinga Patriots 2 hammered Queens Sports Club by eight wickets at Takashinga Cricket Club in Highfield, Harare, on Tuesday afternoon, but their efforts were not enough to guarantee them a place in the last four of the 2024 NPL T20 Blast. 

Patriots 2’s fate was sealed during the first match of the day at their home ground when SOGO Rangers succumbed to their first defeat of the season at the hands of Westside Cricket Club.

The win by Westside took them to eight points putting paid to Patriots 2’s slim hopes of progressing to the playoffs. 

However, despite their final round-robin encounter bearing only significance on the final standings, Patriots 2 put up an entertaining show, with Zhuwao representing merciless batters while Wishnenzy Chapfombo was in a class of his own with the ball.

Queens chose to bat after winning the toss but came face to face with hurricane Chapfombo who claimed the last five wickets in uninterrupted succession. 

Chapfombo made his initial inroads bowling out Petros Sithole in the 13th over. He was back the next over with a caught and bowled effort for the dismissal of Dabuluhle Mboyi.

He also clean bowled Jeffrey Mhuriyengwe, featured in the run out of Zenzele Ndebele when he directed his throw to wicketkeeper Tinashe Chimbambo and claimed his fifth and final wicket, getting Queens captain Tanatswa Bechani caught by Brandon Mavuta in the 19th over. 

Queens finished their innings on 124/9 with Takashinga Patriots 2 reaching 126/2 in 11.5 overs.

Zhuwao scored 86 not out from 34 balls made up of six fours and nine sixes, including 28 runs off Sithole and 22 off Nkosi Ndiweni in the dying stages of the Patriots 2 chase.