Online ReporterTeenage all-rounder Brendon Senzere continued his outstanding NPL Men’s Super 40 campaign with another superb all-round performance, inspiring Strikers to a 12-run victory over Queens Sports Club at Masvingo Sports Club on Wednesday.
Opening the innings alongside Ryan Kamwemba, Senzere shared a 69-run first-wicket stand before going on to score 87 off 93 balls, striking two sixes and 11 fours. He then added 94 for the second wicket with Simba Mudzengerere before his dismissal, with Mudzengerere carrying on to make 43 off 44 deliveries as Strikers posted 223 for four. Queens were set a challenging target but responded well, reaching 211 all out in the 37th over, with captain Tanatswa Bechani top-scoring with 42 off 43 balls. Senzere completed another memorable outing by starring with the ball as well, claiming three key middle-order wickets for 35 runs.
Elsewhere, Wellington Masakadza’s incisive opening spell laid the foundation for Takashinga Patriots 1’s comfortable victory over Amakhosi 1 in their NPL Men’s Super 40 clash at Kwekwe Sports Club on Wednesday.
Opening the bowling, Masakadza removed Bright Phiri, Cunningham Ncube and Brandon Ndiweni with only 19 runs on the board before finishing with impressive figures of three for 16 from his eight overs.
Sean Phiri (44) and Tinotenda Maposa (46) mounted a spirited recovery, but Amakhosi were eventually dismissed for 148 in the 34th over.
Joylord Gumbie led the chase with 56, while Innocent Kaia made 31 in an opening stand of 58. Roy Kaia chipped in with a useful 24 as Takashinga eased to 154 for five. At Old Georgians Sports Club, Alex Landman’s four-wicket haul and Jarod Basson’s composed half-century helped Rangers bounce back from their previous defeat with a hard-fought two-wicket victory over Old Hararians on Wednesday.
Old Hararians endured an inconsistent innings and were dismissed for 162 after slipping to 66 for five before Cephas Zhuwao (28) and the unbeaten Ali Hasnain (35) helped revive the innings. Hasnain was the pick of the Old Hararians bowlers, finishing with two wickets for 18 runs from 7.3 overs.
Brief Scores: Strikers — 223-4 in 37 overs (Brendon Senzere 87, Simbarashe Mudzengerere 43, Ryan Kamwemba 39; Nkosana Mpofu 2/47, Petros Sithole 1/40, Tanatswa Bechani 1/42)
Queens Sports Club — 211 all out in 36.2 overs (Tanatswa Bechani 42, Dalubuhle Mboyi 34, Munashe Chimusoro 30; Brendon Senzere 3/35, Arineshto Vhezha 2/36, Simbarashe Mudzengerere 1/21)
Result: Strikers won by 12 runs
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Old Hararians — 162 all out in 37.1 overs (Ali Hasnain 35*, Ahsan Aqil Ali 32, Faraz Akram 30; Alex Landman 4/29, Michael Frost 2/46, Luke van Zyl 1/25) Rangers —163-8 in 37.3 overs (Jarod Basson 70, Michael Frost 25, Tadiwanashe Marumani 14; Ali Hasnain 2/18, Faraz Akram 2/20, Praise Makara 2/28)
Result: Rangers won by two wickets
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Amakhosi 1 — 148 all out in 33.3 overs (Tinotenda Maposa 46, Sean Phiri 44, Ernest Masuku 25; Wellington Masakadza 3/16, Munashe Chipara 2/34, Samuel Muyambo 1/3)
Takashinga Patriots 1 — 154-5 in 31.1 overs (Joylord Gumbie 56, Inniocent Kaia 31, Roy Kaia 24; Raymond Kasimo 4/32, Dumoluhle Dube 1/38)
Result: Takashinga Patriots 1 won by five wickets
