Two centuries in vain in match-week six of NPL

ONLY two batters managed to reach the magic three digits on Round Six of the National Cricket Premier League (NCPL) over the weekend.

However, those two centuries were in vain as they yielded no victories in a week where both batters and bowlers managed to give impressive performances.

A total of seven matches were played, three on Saturday and four on Sunday.

The first century scored this week came from the bat of Golden Bulls skipper, Shane Chigumbura in their 62 runs defeat at the hands of Rainbow Cricket Club on Saturday while the second and the last of the week was scored by Westside Cricket Club’s opening batter Tinashe Chiorah in a match that was cancelled due to bad light against Takashinga Patriots 2 on Sunday.

Chigumbura had the highest individual score during round six of the country’s premier club cricket competition. Batting on top of the order, he fell for a gallant 115 runs from 114 balls as they were chasing a target of 278 runs having bowled out their opponents for 275 in 39 overs. Golden Bulls went on to finish on 213 all out in 42,1 overs.

Chiorah remained unshaken with the bat as Westside Cricket Club posted a mammoth 304/8 in their 45 overs with the opener scoring a brilliant 105 runs not out from just 83 deliveries.

The match however, was brought to a close on the first over of the second innings as umpires deemed it unsafe to continue due to bad light. Takashinga were on six runs without any wicket lost.

It turned out to be good individual achievements for Chigumbura and Chiorah, however they would feel hard done as both their respective teams could not go on to collect maximum points on the day.

The duo were however not the only ones who had good days at the ovals with the bat on Round Six with a number of batters falling short of their individual milestones as well.

On Saturday, young Matthew Campbell fell just 10 runs short of his ton for Rainbow Cricket Club against Chigumbura’s Golden Bulls while his opening partner, Muhammad Zaheer Tufail also looked on course for a ton.

Campbell fell for 90 runs from 90 balls while Tufail scored 76 runs after facing 58 deliveries.

On the same day, two more half centuries were scored by batters from the same team. Ryan Kamwemba and Tariro Makauyo scored 64 and 57 runs respectively for Uprising Cricket Club while in the same match for Mutare Sports Club, Spencer Magodo scored a gallant 81 runs not out from 91 deliveries as they suffered a 46 runs defeat.

Kevin Kasuza, for Westside Cricket Club chipped in with the last half century on Saturday, scoring 77 runs from 61 balls. The other batters who managed to reach half centuries were Milton Shumba, Tony Munyonga and Clive Madande as they helped defending champions Gladiators register a 177 runs win over Bulawayo Athletic Club (BAC). Tinashe Kamhunukamwe and Timycen Maruma also scored half centuries which helped Takashinga Patriots 1 register an eight wickets victory over Mbizo Cricket Club.

It was not only a batters’ week to shine as some bowlers stood up to the task with ball in hand to produce match winning spells.

Leading the match-week six bowling pack is Queens Cricket Club’s Tanatswa Bechani who took the best figures so far this season.

Bechani produced a spell for the ages, finishing with figures of 7/13 in 7,2 overs to help his side register a 105 runs win over Scorpions Cricket Club, which was their second victory in nine matches.

He was one of the two bowlers who managed to claim fifers on week six. The other bowler was Chigumbura who finished with figures of 5/46 five overs in Golden Bulls’s 62 runs defeat at the hands of Rainbow Cricket Club.

Bowlers such as Daniel Jackiel, Donald Tiripano and Nyasha Dube managed to claim four wickets each for their respective teams to round up an action-packed weekend of entertaining club cricket.

The NPL resumes tomorrow with five matches lined up. Headlining the games is a Bulawayo derby pitting Amakhosi and BAC at the latter’s home ground. In other matches, Kadoma Cricket Club will be up against Rainbow Cricket Club at Old Hararians while Takashinga Patriots 1 will host Queens Cricket Club at Kwekwe Sports Club.

The last two matches will be between Scorpions Cricket Club and Uprising Cricket Club at Takashinga Cricket Club while Mutare Sports Club will host Westside Cricket Club. – @brandon_malvin