Blessing Muzarabani led the bowling attack for the Takashinga Patriots 1, helping to restrict Westside to 185 for 9 in 40 overs.

His figures of four wickets for 18 runs in eight overs set up the nail-biting one-wicket victory for the Highfield-based side, and he was duly named the player of the match.

However, his promotion to bat at number six sparked controversy as he only managed to score four runs from six balls.

Those who have been monitoring Muzarabani’s progress with the bat are not surprised that the lanky fast bowler has been promoted to bat at number six at this level.

In 2020, after returning from his County cricket stint with Northamptonshire, his batting had improved significantly. He then played small but impactful innings against Pakistan during a Test match series held at Harare Sports Club at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

His batting form dipped a bit when he was content with being that typical number eleven.

In May 2023, Muzarabani, the batsman, made a comeback against the Pakistan Shaheens, scoring 50 runs from 24 balls in a List A match. Everyone who watched him that day was thoroughly entertained by his use of long levers.

Last December, in the first-ever international match under lights at Harare Sports Club, a Twenty20 international match against Ireland, Zimbabwe needed two runs from the last ball. Muzarabani came in to bat at 11, and he managed to get an inside edge that went to the boundary, securing the win for Zimbabwe by one wicket in the first T20I.

Some might call it pure luck but those who have watched him work hard in the nets understand that he created his luck.

In this season’s Harare Metropolitan Cricket Association (HMCA) First League, Muzarabani in five innings was ranked number 11 in the batting charts.

The 27-year-old scored 279 runs, averaging 69.50 at a strike rate of 130.52, with a century and half-century to go with it.

His first match of the HMCA Vigne Cup was the Takashinga derby, batting at number six, he scored an unbeaten 61 from 67 balls albeit in a losing cause.

In the next match against Glenshire, that’s when he made local headlines for his blistering 133 from 99 balls whilst batting at six again.

The big man was not finished yet, in his third match of the season against the new rivals, Gladiators, he batted at eight and was unlucky to miss out on another fifty after he was dismissed for 48 from 19 balls.

In his last match of the HMCA First League, he was promoted to bat at four for Takashinga Patriots 2 and he scored 28 from 16 balls.

In sports they say statistics do not lie, Muzarabani’s club cricket batting statistics warrant him to be promoted in the middle order of Takashinga 1 in the NPL depending on the state of the match.

Against Westside, Takashinga 1 was in a spot of bother, the coach wanted him to take the attack to the opposition and transfer the pressure chasing a paltry total. It did not work out on the day but you feel that this is not the last we are going to see Muzarabani batting at six or higher in the NPL.

Whilst the levels are completely different in the Indian Premier League we have West Indian spinner Sunil Narine being used as a pinch hitter opening the batting for Kolkata Knight Riders.

Bowlers need to gain batting confidence starting from club cricket, transferring it to first-class cricket, and ultimately to the national team.

Modern-day cricket especially T20 requires bowlers who can contribute with the bat and the case in point is the 2024 T20 World Cup currently underway in the USA and West Indies.

Teams are defending low scores and the contribution from the lower-order batters is making a difference in the final scheme of things.

The Takashinga think tank and Muzarabani might be on to something here.