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Brandon Moyo, [email protected]

AMAKHOSI Cricket Club maintained their rich vein of form in the Bulawayo Metropolitan Cricket Association (BMCA) First League with yet another win over the weekend.

The table-topping Amakhosi Cricket Club proved too strong for Bulawayo Athletic Club (BAC), with a three-wicket win in a First League match played at the city’s ceremonial home of cricket, Queens Sports Club on Saturday.

After they were asked to bowl first, Amakhosi bowled out BAC for just 117 runs in 35,2 overs before going on to chase down the target in 29,5 overs to finish on 121/7. The victory took Amakhosi to 54 points, 21 clear of their opponents BAC, who are on 33 points. Second-placed Queens Sports Club are on 36 points.

Following their victory on Saturday, Amakhosi have now won eight out of their nine games while one was no result.

Cedric Dube was the star with the ball for Amakhosi , taking four wickets in just under 10 overs. Dube finished with impressive figures of 4/28 in 9, 2 overs while Arnold Shara claimed three scalps. Shara finished with figures of 3/19 in seven overs while the skipper Mzingaye Mdlongwa took two wickets for 31 runs in his 10 overs.

The other wicket was taken by Prince Kaunda, who finished with figures of 1/28 in eight overs. After a collapse at the top, Peter Nyandoro top-scored for BAC, with an unbeaten 25 runs off 44 balls while Tanaka Mutomba made 22 runs from 37 deliveries. Thabo Moyo scored 16 runs off 28 balls while Vitalis Buwu made 15 runs. The four batters were the only ones who managed to score more than 10 runs for BAC.

Leading the chase for Amakhosi was Ashley Phiri, who top-scored with 30 runs not out from 65 balls while Tawanda Mhora chipped in with 18 runs from 37 deliveries. Bright Phiri made 16 runs off 15 balls to help guide their team to yet another win.

In just five overs, Donald Tapfuma took four wickets for 24 runs in BAC’s gallant defense. Nyandoro finished with figures of 2/32 in 5, 5 overs.
In the other First League match played over the weekend, Queens Sports Club 1 beat Nketa Cricket Club 1 by 22 runs in a low-scoring match. Batting first, Queens Sports Club was bowled out for just 110 runs in 26,5 overs before going on to wipe out their opponents for 88 runs in 29,5 overs.
Dalubuhle Mboyi top scored for Queens Sports Club with 26 runs off 21 balls while Tawanda Charumbira took four wickets for Nketa Cricket Club. Charumbira conceded 15 runs in seven overs. Luyanda Mtomba and Jonathan Baloyi took three wickets apiece for Queens Sports Club in their defense. They both bowled five overs with Mtomba conceding 20 runs and Baloyi going for just five runs.
Dillion Pettican top scored for Nketa Cricket Club with 43 runs off 66 balls.

In the Second League, Nketa Cricket Club II made it three out of three with a convincing 67 runs win over Champions Cricket Club in a 40-over match that was played at Emakhandeni Cricket Club on Saturday. The eventual winners, Nketa II scored 141/9 (29,1 overs) before going on to wipe out their opponents for just 74 runs in 14 overs.

In the other match played on Saturday, Queens Sports Club II proved too strong for Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) with a thumping 305-run win – the biggest margin over the weekend. Batting first, Queens scored a mammoth 361/5 – courtesy of a Dananai Rangayi ton before going on to bowl out ZRP for just 56 runs in 15,5 overs. Rangayo top scored with 117 runs off 96 balls.

On Sunday, new boys Dingani Bookshop Cricket Club beat Wholesale Beef Bulls by four wickets to open their account in the Second League with positive results. After bowling out their opponents for 168 runs in 29,5 overs, the new boys chased down the target in 33,4 overs to finish on 172/6. In the other match, BAC II thumped the National University of Science and Technology (Nust) by eight wickets. BAC bowled out the students for just 60 runs in 14,5 overs and went on to chase the target down in 9,5 overs, finishing on 61/2.

Fixtures for this coming weekend are yet to be confirmed. – @brandon_malvin