B-Metro
Brandon Moyo
AFTER registering four wins on the trot, Amakhosi Cricket Club finally tasted defeat in the ongoing National Premier League (NPL)after they suffered a 16 runs loss at the hands of cross-town side Queens Cricket Club at Queens Sports Club on Wednesday.
For Queens Cricket Club, it was their third victory in nine matches while Amakhosi suffered their fifth loss in nine games as well.
After winning the toss and electing to field first, Amakhosi bowled out Queens for 191 runs in 44,2 overs before they went on to crumble to 175 runs all out in 42,2 overs as well, to see Queens Cricket Club collect maximum points.
In the match’s first innings, it was the Amakhosi skipper Ernest Masuku who stole the show with a brilliant performance with ball in hand. Masuku, a fast bowler took a five-wicket haul to finish with impressive figures of 5/16 in his eight over spell. Syed Bhukarri finished with figures of 2/20 in 4,2 overs. Munashe Chimusoro top scored for Queens with 43 runs off 68 balls while Chris Mpofu fell for 40 runs from 50 deliveries.
Mpofu went on to put up another brilliant spell with the ball for Queens as they restricted Amakhosi to a few runs short of the target. Mpofu finished with bowling figures of 3/16 in 7,2 overs. Tanatswa Bechani, Petros Sithole and Tinaye Shayamano took two wickets each for the eventual winners, Queens.
With the bat for Amakhosi, opening batter Adrien Mupembe’s half century was not enough to see the team through. Mupembe top scored with 56 runs from 102 balls while Tinashe Mujuru was their second leading run scorer with 24 runs from 25 balls as they succumbed to a close defeat.
Both teams are in the chasing pack for a top eight finish which will guarantee them a place in the T20 edition of the NPL.
