Exclusive: Takashinga vs Bulawayo Athletic Club, Match report

Posted by brmtaylor.com admin on January 23, 2008

For the second year running, Takashinga Cricket Club has won the National League final. The boys from the Highfield were not at full strength, with many of their squad in Pakistan with the Zimbabwean national team, such as Prosper Utseya, Timycen Maruma and Elton Chigumbura. Their opponents, Bulawayo Athletic Club, were without the services of medium pace bowler Tawanda Mupariwa.

Batting first, Takashinga scored a huge total of 338. Fielding let the Bulawayo based club down, with many runs scored through the covers and the bowlers suffering fatigue after long spells.

Sammy Mwakayeni led the way for Takashinga with a blistering 135. Johnson Marumisa added 65 runs.

Freedom Takarusenga was the pick of the bowlers, snaring 4/35. He could have had a 5th wicket as well, when the third ball of his first over landed less than a metre short of the man at backward point.

Rain caused an interruption to play, but BAC were soon back on the field, this time preparing for a huge run chase. All National League matches this season were played over two days, meaning BAC had a high required run rate.

Tinashe Hove, the former Zimbabwe A opener and regular BAC opening batsman, was omitted for this match despite making 44 in the semi-final.

In what was an outstanding allround performance, Freedom Takarusenga opened the innings and smashed 95 runs. As the team was behind the required run rate, Takarusenga was upping the ante and unfortunately fell a few runs short of a century.

Bonaparte Mujuru added 67, the only other score of substance. Matthew Williams, the younger brother of ODI star Sean Williams, added a brisk 30 or so down the order.

BAC by stumps were 6/276, 63 runs short of their target.