TAKASHINGA Patriots 1’s highest team total of the National Premier League(NPL) was too much for Mbizo Cricket Club as they condemned the Midlands-based side to a massive 217-run loss at Takashinga Cricket Club in Harare on Thursday.
The NPL defending champions’ massive total of 365-7 in 45 overs was built around half-centuries by Joylord Gumbie, Wellington Masakadza and Alvin Chiradza.
However, it was the evergreen Tapiwa Mufudza who was named player of the match who spun Boyz Dzangu to victory with figures of five for 29 in nine overs.
Blessing Muzarabani set the tone for the home side with three for 12 in 5.2 overs. He first removed Walter Matawu for one, caught behind by wicketkeeper, Gumbie.
Clifford Takaedza who never looked comfortable against the searing pace of Muzarabani was beaten for pace to be adjudged out leg before wicket for 17 runs from 24 balls.
Then it was the time for last season’s NPL bowler of the tournament, Mufudza, to get into his act on a wicket where the ball was holding up.
He first bowled Muhammad Anas Aqil around his legs for 17. Isaac Danladi did not last long as he tried to take on Mufudza but could only find the waiting hands of Timycen Maruma, who was dismissed for three runs.
It is hard to play Mufudza once he finds his rhythm, Hammad Ul Hassan was dismissed for a first ball duck and Mbizo were capitulating very fast.
Mufudza completed his first five-wicket haul of the season when he bowled Isaac Okpe for eight.
Jabulisa Tshuma was the last batter out for one, Mbizo capitulating to 148 all out in 34.2 overs.
Ahsan Ali top-scored for Mbizo with 47 from 66 balls but could not find any meaningful support from the top-order batters. Mbizo’s next high scorer was number nine batsman Michael Chinouya who scored 19 from 10 balls.
Earlier in the day, Mbizo after winning the toss, sent Takashinga 1 in and that is where their joy ended.
Gumbie and Tinashe Kamunhukamwe were off the blocks quickly, scoring 52 in 4.4 overs before the latter played one shot too many being dismissed for 32 from 15 balls by Chinouya.
Innocent Kaia once again looked good for a half-century but just like Kamunhukamwe, tried to go the aerial route but failed to pick Okpe’s slow ball and was caught by Chiemelie Udekwe for 34 from 26 balls, a knock that included six fours.
Gumbie scored a-run-a-ball 62 and just as he tried to up the ante in the 23rd over, he was caught at deep mid-wicket by Danladi off Hassan.
The day however belonged to Masakadza who top scored with 87 from 49 balls.
He entertained the sizeable crowd that came to enjoy some winter sun at Takashinga, scoring four boundaries and six maximums.
Just like in the first match against Westside, Chiradza continued to show calmness under pressure sharing another match defining 137 partnership for the sixth wicket with Masakadza being the chief aggressor.
Masakadza could have scored a hundred if he had slowed down once on 87 with 31 balls to go before the end of the Takashinga 1 innings but he continued to play the same way that had given him runs on the day, unfortunately, he perished 13 runs short of the milestone.
Chiradza allowed the aggressive players around him to play their natural game, remaining unbeaten on 66 from 75 balls as Takaz 1 finished on 365-7.
No Mbizo bowler was spared, Hassan was the peak of the bowlers finishing with figures of three for 65 in nine overs.