AFTER a nervy 1-wicket victory over Westside, Takashinga Patriots 1 will seek to be more clinical when they host Mbizo Cricket Club on Thursday at home in their second match of National Premier League (NPL)
After dusting off some off-season cobwebs, Boyz Dzangu wants to send a big statement to all their rivals as they seek an unprecedented NPL double starting with the 45 Overs competition.
Victory over Westside was set up by the bowlers led by player of the match, Zimbabwe international, who took 4 for 18, to help Takashinga 1 restrict the home team to 185-9.
The bowlers used the conditions very well and were clinical in the execution of their plans.
However, the batting department needs to make a statement at the home of black cricket against Mbizo and make it a caldron that all visiting teams would fear to play at.
Captain Roy Kaia led from the front with a half-century that laid the foundation for the team’s first-season victory on a day when many top-order batters failed to convert their starts into big scores.
Alvin Chiradza who scored an unbeaten 37 from 57 balls spared Takaz 1 all the blushes as his rearguard action with lower order saw him, he will want to repeat the same feat if called upon.
Innocent Kaia who is coming back from injury which sidelined him from international duty, looked like his old elegant self during his brief stay at the crease.
With Justin Sammons having appointed the new Zimbabwe senior men’s side head coach ahead of the India series next month, the younger Kaia would want to make a case for himself by scoring loads of runs and proving that he is back to full fitness.
Joylord Gumbie and Timycen Maruma would also want to draw markers as the face bowlers like the experienced Mike Chinouya, budding fast bowler Darlington Bonzo and other unheralded bowlers.
Smart money should be on Takashinga 1 seeing off Mbizo but strange things have happened in cricket before therefore the Highfields-based side can’t afford to be complacent.
For all Takashinga 1 national team players, this is also their chance to get a bit of game time under before they intensify their preparations for the India T20I 5-match series.