LENNOX Chando followed Sunday’s match-winning 67 with an unbeaten 83 as defending champions Gladiators Cricket Club demolished Eastern Titans by 10 wickets in the NPL T20 Blast at Harare Sports Club on Monday.
Chando and opening partner Naison Mare shared an unbroken 146-run stand, guiding Gladiators to 146/0 in just 15.2 overs after their bowlers had restricted Eastern Titans to 143/9.
The emphatic victory was Gladiators’ fourth of the tournament and their third in successive days, following wins over Mbizo Cricket Club and Old Hararians 1.
Before the match, players and officials observed a moment of silence in memory of Sarah Dambanevana.
Gladiators then took control with the ball, led by Victor Nyauchi’s 3/26, while Owen Muzondo and Munashe Zata claimed two wickets apiece.
Eastern Titans, who elected to bat, made a promising start through Takudzwa Nyamugure, whose 27 from 16 balls included three fours and two sixes.
Muzondo bowled Nyamugure in the fourth over, but the Titans reached 40/1 at the end of the Powerplay and appeared capable of building a competitive total.
Their innings soon lost momentum.
Nyauchi trapped wicketkeeper Spencer Magodo leg before wicket for 11 before Laksh Bakraina removed Oscar Manishimwe for nine.
Tariro Makauyo struggled to accelerate, scoring 24 from 33 balls before Muzondo bowled him in the 12th over.
At 86/4, Eastern Titans needed a strong finish, but Gladiators continued taking wickets.
Captain Definate Mawadzi made 16, while Kudzai Sauramba contributed 19 before falling to Zata.
Nyauchi also removed Mawadzi and Prosper Mugeri as the Titans slipped to 129/8 in the 19th over.
They eventually finished on 143/9, with Nyauchi returning 3/26 from four overs, Muzondo 2/27 and Zata 2/23.
Chando made the chase look considerably easier than the target suggested.
He attacked from the outset, dominating the opening partnership as Gladiators raced to 50 without loss after just four overs.
Chando had already scored 40 from 19 balls at that stage, while Mare was content to rotate the strike and punish loose deliveries.
The champions reached 57/0 after six overs, leaving Eastern Titans with little room to recover.
Chando completed his half-century from 31 balls, striking seven fours and a six on his way to the milestone.
The opening stand reached 100 in 10.5 overs, with Chando contributing 61 and Mare 27.
Eastern Titans used six bowlers without finding a breakthrough.
Mashford Shungu conceded 46 runs from four overs, while Prosper Mugeri went for 38 from three.
Experienced seamer Tendai Chatara was more economical, conceding 11 runs from two overs, but even he could not separate the openers.
Chando finished unbeaten on 83 from 55 deliveries, with 11 fours and a six, while Mare made 46 not out from 37 balls, including two fours and two sixes.
Gladiators completed the chase with 28 balls remaining, without requiring another batter to leave the pavilion.
The performance came barely 24 hours after Chando’s 67 helped Gladiators overcome Old Hararians in a tense five-wicket victory decided in the final over.
Against Eastern Titans, he went a step further, carrying his bat and denying the opposition a single wicket.
For Gladiators, the result also marked a sharp improvement in their bowling after conceding 183/5 against Old Hararians.
Nyauchi, Muzondo and Zata shared seven wickets, giving the defending champions a manageable target that Chando and Mare chased down with little difficulty.
Three days, three victories and another dominant innings from Chando have strengthened Gladiators’ title defence as the NPL T20 Blast gathers momentum.
