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Lawrence Moyo

Head Zimpapers Sports

THE league format of the National Premier League T20 Blast cricket tournament will be decided in a winner-take-all contest at Takashinga Cricket Club this afternoon. 

Leaders Takashinga 2 host Gladiators in a 2pm start, with only net run rate separating them. There is no forecast of rain today and this rules out the possibility of a No Result, which means top place will go to whoever prevails. 

Both teams have 10 points from six matches as the league stage concludes today.

At the end of today’s round of matches the top two teams will clash in a qualifier on Thursday afternoon at Harare Sports Club while the third and fourth placed teams will clash in an eliminator later in the day under lights. 

The winner between first and second qualifies to Saturday’s final while the loser will face the winner between third and fourth on Friday. 

Going into today’s matches, third placed Uprising and fourth placed Takashinga 1 are tied on eight points while Westside are the only other team with a chance to make the Top four. 

Takashinga 1 face pointless Rainbow in a 2pm start at Old Hararians while Westside visit third-from-bottom Mutare Sports Club and Uprising face second-from-bottom Amakhosi at Kwekwe Sports Club. 

Uprising’s Nicholas Welch is the current leading scorer with 323 runs from six matches at a batting average of 64.60, followed by Milton Shumba of the Gladiators with 252 runs at an average of 50.40 runs a match. 

Leaders Takashinga 2 have been led by Antum Naqvi, who has 186 runs from four innings at an average of 46.50. 

Tendai Chatara is currently the leading wicket taker with 13 scalps from six games for Mutare Sports Club followed by Takashinga 2’s Trevor Gwandu with 11 from four matches while Fortune Mhlanga of Westside has 10 from four innings. 

Takashinga 2 wicketkeeper, Tafadzwa Tsiga is currently the leading fielder with 12 dismissals in four matches including five catches while Cunningham Ncube is a distant second with seven dismissals in three matches. 

Today’s matches: 11am: Amakhosi v Uprising (Kwekwe Sports Club), Mutare Sports Club v Westside (Mutare), 2pm: Gladiators v Takashinga 2 (Takashinga Cricket Club), Takashinga 1 v Rainbow (Old Hararians)

Latest Standings

P W L T NR PTS NRR

Takashinga 2 6 5 1 0 0 10 2.258

Gladiators 6 5 1 0 0 10 1.625

Uprising 6 4 2 0 0 8 1.472

Takashinga 1 6 4 2 0 0 8 0.815

Westside 6 3 3 0 0 6 -0.667

Mutare 6 2 4 0 0 4 -0.986

Amakhosi 6 1 5 0 0 2 -1.684

Rainbow 6 0 6 0 0 0 -2.691