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Brandon Moyo, Sports Reporter
DEFEAT by one run through the Duckworth and Lewis method to fellow title contenders Amakhosi Cricket Club was not enough to dethrone leaders Bulawayo Athletic Club (BAC) from the top of the Bulawayo Metropolitan Cricket Association (BMCA) First League.
Chasing a revised target of 151 runs in 30 overs, BAC were restricted to 149-8 to fall heartbreakingly close in a top of the table clash. Amakhosi had scored 206 all out in 44 overs before the rains disturbed the match.
For BAC Jeffrey Mhuriyengwe took four wickets for 31 runs in seven overs while Peter Nyandoro, in his 10 overs took three scalps for 51 runs.
With the top order not putting any notable scores on the board for the eventual winners, it was Amakhosi’s lower order that came to the party with the bat. Number seven Tinotenda Maphosa scored 59 runs while the team top scorer on the day was Ashely Phiri who came in to bat at number nine and notched up with 60 runs. Arnold Shara, batting at number 10, chipped in with an unbeaten 27 runs off 20 deliveries to guide their team to a defendable total.
A half century from Bonaparte Mujuru was the only big score for BAC in their chase. Mujuru finished unbeaten on 59 runs off 79 deliveries as BAC succumbed to their first defeat of the season.
Nkosi Gogodo took three wickets for Amakhosi and Panashe Maphosa had two scalps to hand their team victory.
With three wins from four matches, BAC are still on top of the standings with 21 points while Amakhosi, in second position have 18, with three wins as well. Queens Sports Club, who won by five wickets (D/L Method) against Nketa Cricket Club, are sitting in position three with 13 points and Nketa is sitting on the bottom of the table with just one point.
Meanwhile, in the second league there was movement among the top teams with Nketa 2 jumping to position one on 25 points relegating National University of Science and Technology (Nust) to second position with 22 points. Amakhosi 2, in third position also have 22 points and fourth placed BAC 2 have 20 points. In position five sits Wholesale Beef Bulls with 18 points followed by Gampu Lions with the same number of points and Queens Sports Club 2 with 15 points.
The bottom three is made up of Champions Cricket Club, ZRP Bulawayo and Roosters Cricket Club who have nine, eight and zero points respectively. – @brandon_malvin
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter