Takashinga Patriots 1 got the defence of their National Premier League (NPL) title off to a thrilling start, with a one-wicket victory over Westside at Mutare Sports Club on Saturday.
The hosts did very well to stretch the champions so closely, after the excellent bowling of Blessing Muzarabani reduced them to 62 for seven wickets when they batted first.
Vincent Masekesa then played a captain's innings of 29 off 55 balls to steady the Westside innings, while Tinashe Muchawaya with 41 off 26 balls and Anesu Kamuriwo 31 not out, enabling the final total to reach 185 for nine wickets.
Muzarabani returned the excellent figures of four wickets for 18 runs in his eight overs.
Takashinga were in trouble at 81 for five wickets, three of them to Masekesa, but Roy Kaia and Alvin Chiradza turned the innings around with a sixth-wicket partnership of 75.
When Kaia left for 55 off 66 deliveries, more wickets fell but the last man, Travor Mutsamba, in at 170 for nine, held on bravely while Chiradza, with 37 not out, took his team home amidst great excitement.
At Kwekwe Sports Club, excellent bowling by Faraz Akram enabled Takashinga Patriots to start their NPL campaign with a straightforward eight-wicket victory over Bulawayo Athletic Club on Saturday.
He took four wickets in his opening spell to reduce BAC to 26 for four wickets after seven overs. Pascal Murugwi (38) and Peter Nyandoro (37) did their best to fight back, but Akram returned to remove Nyandoro and BAC could total only 142 in 32.3 overs.
Akram finished with five wickets for 33 runs in only 7.5 overs.
Daichi Nyandoro hit a quick 31 off 28 balls as Takashinga opened their innings, but Tanu Makoni played steadily for 45 and Rodney Mupfudza made 44 not out to take them to victory by eight wickets in 25.2 overs.
At Masvingo Sports Club, SOGO Rangers marked their NPL debut with an impressive 81-run victory over Amakhosi, despite a remarkable innings of 74 by Raymond Kasimo, on Saturday. The newcomers batted first but lost their openers for 14 runs in the first two overs.
Craig Ervine led a recovery with 57 off 52 balls, while Jayden Schadendorf followed up his good work with 46 not out, the final total being 195 all out.
The most successful bowler was Nkosi Gogodo who took five wickets for 44 runs, wiping out the tail quickly.
Against the pace bowling of Kuda Macheka and Alex Falao, the Amakhosi top order disintegrated, their first five wickets going down for 17 runs and eight for 50.
Kasimo was undeterred by the failure of his teammates, though, and hit out superbly to score 74 off 63 balls, including three sixes and eight fours.
Nobody else on the side made more than 10 as Kasimo scored almost two-thirds of their total of 114.
Macheka took four wickets for 22 runs and Falao three for 24.
Brief Scores:
Westside: 185-9 in 40 overs (Tinashe Muchawaya 41, Anesu Kamuriwo 31*, Vincent Masekesa 29; Blessing Muzarabani 4/18, Tanaka Chivanga 2/36, Wellington Masakadza 1/37)
Takashinga Patriots 1: 187-9 in 38.5 overs (Roy Kaia 55, Alvin Chiradza 37*, Innocent Kaia 24; Vincent Masekesa 3/31, Definate Mawadzi 2/21, Tendai Chatara 2/27)
Result: Takashinga Patriots 1 won by one wicket
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Bulawayo Athletic Club: 142 all out in 32.3 overs (Pascal Murungi 38, Peter Nyandoro 37, Bryan Tsongora 12; Faraz Akram 5/33, Daichi Nyandoro 2/15, Cuthbert Musoko 2/21)
Takashinga Patriots 2: 144-2 in 25.2 overs (Tanunurwa Makoni 45, Rodney Mupfudza 44*, Daichi Nyandoro 31; Charlton Tshuma 1/26, Peter Nyandoro 1/36)
Result: Takashinga Patriots 2 won by eight wickets
SOGO Rangers: 195 all out in 35.4 overs (Craig Ervine 47, Jayden Schadendorf 46*, Kudakwashe Macheka 23; Nkosibongwe Gogodo 5/44, Raymond Kasimo 2/37, Prince Kaunda 1/20)
Amakhosi: 114 all out in 26.5 overs (Raymond Kasimo 74, Ernest Masuku 10, Adrian Mupembe 7; Kudakwashe Macheka 4/22, Alex Falao 3/24, Matthew Campbell 2/18)
Result: SOGO Rangers won by 81 runs
