Takashinga 1 hand Great Zimbabwe first T10 defeat

Great Zimbabwe Patriots – 96-4 in 10 overs (Richmond Mutumbami 53*, Tadiwanashe Marumani 13, Costa Zhou 10; Tapiwa Mufudza 2/6, Tanaka Chivanga 1/11, Shingi Masakadza 1/16)

Takashinga Patriots 1 – 97-3 in 7.3 overs (Shingi Masakadza 39*, Chamu Chibhabha 18, Takudzwanashe Kaitano 18*; George Matanga 1/7, Sydney Murombo 1/25, Tony Munyonga 1/33)

Takashinga Patriots 1 won by seven wickets

The brutal hitting of Shingi Masakadza and the bowling of Tapiwa Mufudza were the key factors in Great Zimbabwe Patriots’ first defeat of the Zim Cyber-City Domestic T10 tournament by six wickets at the hands of Takashinga Patriots 1 in the first match played at Harare Sports Club on Friday.

Great Zimbabwe again had good fortune with the toss and so were able to bat first as they always prefer to do.

Their regular devastating opening pair of Tadiwanashe Marumani and Richmond Mutumbami began with their customary array of powerful strokes, this time making 29 together for the first wicket, before in the third over Marumani was bowled by Tanaka Chivanga for 13, scored off nine balls.

Mutumbami was again in fine form, though, and the runs continued to flow with Costa Zhou as his new partner, until at the end of the sixth over Zhou was bowled by Masakadza for 10, scored off 10 balls and including a six.

The score was 57 for two, and there followed an unaccustomed setback for Great Zimbabwe as in the next over Mufudza had both Tony Munyonga and Luke Jongwe caught from successive deliveries, the first balls each of them faced.

Four wickets were now down for 58 in the seventh over as Nelson Chimbirimbiri, who owing to the success of the top order has had little batting to do in this tournament, joined Mutumbami at the crease.

Those wickets and the difficulty Chimbirimbiri had in scoring quickly slowed the scoring rate down, but Mutumbami was not to be deterred or removed.

He continued to hit out boldly and reached 53 not out when the end of the innings came – he faced 33 balls and hit two sixes and four fours.

The final total of 96 for four was remarkably low by Great Zimbabwe standards, and promised an even contest as it was one Takashinga had a good chance of overhauling.

Mufudza was the bowling hero – not only did he take two vital wickets, but his two overs yielded only six runs and slowed his opponents right down.

Chivanga could claim equal rights, though, as he also did very well with the ball, taking Marumani’s wicket and conceding only 11 runs in his two overs.

Takashinga went after their target with great intent and confidence as Innocent Kaia and Chamu Chibhabha opened their innings, and Jongwe’s first over went for 13 runs.

They reached 30 in the third over, but by then Kaia had been caught by Mutumbami off Sydney Murombo for 15, scored off eight balls, while Tinashe Kamunhukamwe hit a boundary and was then stumped off Munyonga.

This brought in Shingi Masakadza, who began a remarkable display of power hitting, despite the loss of Chibhabha, caught by Marumani off George Matanga for 18 off 10 balls.

By then the score was 72 in the sixth over, with Masakadza shredding the bowling with his devastating strokes.

With Takudzwanashe Kaitano now in and also hitting out, Takashinga surged on towards victory as Great Zimbabwe for the first time in the tournament were helpless to control the match.

Victory came with as many as 15 balls to spare, with Masakadza’s 39 not out coming off only 14 balls, with five sixes and a four.

Kaitano’s contribution was 18 not out, off 11 balls, with a six and a four.

Only George Matanga, whose single over removed Chibhabha and cost only seven runs, escaped the slaughter among the bowlers.

Takashinga have now won their last five matches in succession, but unfortunately for them their two early defeats have cost them a place in the final on Sunday, which will be played between Great Zimbabwe and Harare Kings.

Tashinga Musekiwa stars with the bat in Lions win

Lions – 116-5 in 10 overs (Tashinga Musekiwa 54*, Aliakbar Hamid 27, Clive Madande 13; Prince Kaunda 3/8, Charlton Tshuma 1/27, Tanatswa Bechani 1/33)

Bulawayo Athletic Club – 87-6 in 10 overs (Brandon James 20, Brandon Mavuta 19, Allan Chigoma 13*; Marshall Takodza 3/8, Tashinga Musekiwa 2/13, Trevor Gwandu 1/23)

Lions won by 29 runs

Tashinga Musekiwa had a great match for Lions, scoring a blistering fifty and taking two valuable wickets as they beat Bulawayo Athletic Club (BAC) by 29 runs.

Lions, put in to bat, made a bad start when Bright Phiri was caught at the wicket off the first ball of the innings from Charlton Tshuma.

Clive Madande scored 13 off nine balls, but when Spencer Magodo was out for five, the score was 28 for three in the fourth over and the prospects did not look good.

Musekiwa now came in and changed all that with his ferocious hitting right from the start.

So brutally did he massacre the bowling that when the remaining opening batter Aliakbar Hamid was out for 21 off 21 balls, the score was 91 for four in the ninth over.

Musekiwa passed his fifty in the company of Marshall Takodza, who also hit out, and they managed to take Lions to the good score of 116 for five wickets.

Musekiwa’s 54 not out came off only 19 balls and he hit no fewer than seven sixes and one four, while Takodza had 11 not out off five balls.

The best bowler for BAC was Prince Kaunda, who while his companions were suffering great violence managed to bowl his two overs for only eight runs and three wickets.

BAC made a disastrous start to their innings, losing Nkosana Mpofu caught by Bright Chipungu off the first ball of the innings, and Nyasha Mayavo in just the same way to the third ball, Marshall Takodza being the bowler.

Thamsanqa Nunu was next to go for six, the score then being 14 for three in two overs.

The opener Brandon James played well for a while and scored 20 off 14 balls, with two sixes and a four.

Brandon Mavuta was willing to have a go and take the risk and he hammered 18 runs off the first six balls he faced, before he trailed off and was out for 19 off 11.

By this time the score was 50 for five in the sixth over, which two overs later became 67 for six, and the cause was lost.

Takodza finished with three wickets for eight runs, while Musekiwa had two for 13.

ZIM CYBER-CITY DOMESTIC T10 POINTS TABLE

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