Golden Bulls – 100 all out in 22.2 overs (Elvin Nxumalo 29, Sydney Murombo 16*, Kelvin Mabvute 14; Kudakwashe Ncumani 5/40, John Masara 3/13, Silent Mujaji 2/28)
Mutare Sports Club – 101-1 in 15 overs (Clive Chitumba 57*, Nigel Bonyongwe 16, Kudzai Sauramba 11*; Munashe Maworere 1/13)
Mutare Sports Club won by nine wickets
A dashing innings of 57 off 48 balls from Mutare Sports Club captain Clive Chitumba led his team to a rapid nine-wicket victory over Golden Bulls in their National Premier League match at Masvingo Sports Club on Wednesday.
Bulls, put in to bat, were never able to master a bowling attack headed by Kudakwashe Ncumani, who in nine overs took five wickets for 40 runs.
They were 71 for nine wickets at one stage, but the last man, Sydney Murombo, with 16 not out, joined the top scorer, Elvin Nxumalo, who made 29, and they managed to boost the total to exactly 100 in 22.2 overs.
But this presented no problem to Chitumba, as it took only 15 overs for Mutare to win the match with 101 for one wicket.
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Mbizo – 99 all out in 33.4 overs (Jabulisa Tshuma 25, Mthulisi Tshuma 16, Abel Chirimuuta 14*; Mashford Shungu 3/1, Frank Mazviita 2/20, Definate Mawadzi 1/8)
Westside – 104-5 in 13 overs (Definate Mawadzi 34, Tinashe Chiorah 27, Kevin Kasuza 15*; Abel Chirimuuta 3/5, Tafara Chingwara 2/33)
Westside won by five wickets
Mashford Shungu produced a remarkable opening spell of bowling for Westside against Mbizo at Old Hararians Sports Club, which laid the path for a simple five-wicket victory.
Shungu in four overs took three wickets for just one run to have Mbizo, sent in to bat, reeling at four runs for four wickets after seven overs.
Eight wickets were down for 45 runs before a rally by Jabulisa Tshuma (25) and Abel Chirimuta (14 not out) enabled Mbizo eventually to reach 99 all out.
Westside were helped on their victory path by 27 from Tinashe Chiorah and 34 from Definate Mawadzi, before Kevin Kasuza (15 not out) hit a six to bring Westside victory.
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Gladiators – 179-8 in 37 overs (Lennox Chando 65, Owen Muzondo 61, Naison Mare 11; Keith Ndlovu 3/17, Thabo Mboyi 3/34, Ernest Masuku 2/18)
Amakhosi – 139 all out in 31.3 overs (Raymond Kasimo 34, Thabo Mboyi 25*, Ernest Masuku 16; Phrase Mukabeta 3/20, Munashe Zata 3/21, Owen Muzondo 3/35)
Gladiators won by 40 runs
Fifties from Lennox Chando and Owen Muzondo gave Gladiators, put in to bat, a score too great for Amakhosi to chase down at Kwekwe Sports Club.
Chando, opening the innings, dominated the scoring from the start in making his 65 off 72 balls, but it was not until he had lost three partners that Muzondo came in to give him better support in a fourth-wicket partnership of 58.
Muzondo made 61 off 66 balls, but no other batter scored more than 11, so it was virtually a two-man show.
There were three wickets each for Thabo Mboyi and Keith Ndlovu.
Phrase Mukabeta then produced a fine opening spell to take the first three Amakhosi wickets with only 25 runs on the board.
Although Raymond Kasimo scored 34 and Mboyi 25 not out, Amakhosi never looked like catching their opponents.
Mukabeta took three wickets for 20, Munashe Zata three for 21 and Muzondo showed his all-round skills with three for 35.
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Bulawayo Athletic Club – 214-6 in 45 overs (Brandon James 90*, Tafara Mupariwa 31, Flemming Nkomo 23*; Petros Sithole 3/34, Isheunopa Musekwa 2/35, Chris Mpofu 1/50)
Queens Sports Club – 197 all out in 42.1 overs (Tanatswa Bechani 57, Chris Mpofu 52, Dalubuhle Mboyi 18; Brandon James 3/27, Ruvimbo Mumbire 3/34, Taboka Manyalo 3/43)
Bulawayo Athletic Club won by 17 runs
The best match of the day was the local Bulawayo derby at Bulawayo Athletic Club (BAC), where a fine innings of 90 by Brandon James set Queens Sports Club just too many runs to win, as they went down gallantly by 17 runs.
Tafara Mupariwa scored 31, but BAC did not begin too impressively as they lost wickets steadily and had five down for 95.
Then James came to the fore and, with help from Vitalis Buwu and Flemming Nkomo, began to dominate the bowling so as to finish with 90 not out off 90 balls, including a six and 11 fours.
After 45 overs the innings ended at 214 for six, the best bowler being Petros Sithole with three for 34.
Queens began their reply poorly and their first three men were out for 46 before a superb partnership looked capable of changing the match.
Chris Mpofu, better known for his bowling, was joined by the captain, Tanatswa Bechani, and the two added 102 for the fourth wicket in 22 overs before Mpofu went for 52 off 99 balls, with only two fours – a remarkably restrained innings for him.
Bechani tried to lead his team to victory, but was out for 57 off 72 balls, and the later batters were not up to the task, giving a final score of 197 all out.
There were three wickets each for Ruvimbo Mumbire, James and Taboka Manyalo -ZimCricket.