DEFENDING champions Gladiators Cricket Club continued their winning start to the NPL T20 Blast with a commanding seven-wicket victory over Mbizo Cricket Club at Harare Sports Club on Saturday, securing their second win of the tournament.
Captain Milton Shumba led the charge with an unbeaten 49 from 28 balls as Gladiators chased down Mbizo’s modest total of 122 with 39 balls to spare, reaching 125 for threein just 13.3 overs.
The victory underlined the champions’ determination to retain their crown, with their bowlers setting up the result before Shumba and Brendon Sunguro completed the job with an unbroken 69-run fourth-wicket partnership.
Shumba, who struck seven fours, was denied a half-century in unusual circumstances when Michael Chinouya sent down a wide that raced to the boundary for four additional runs, bringing the match to an end with the Gladiators skipper stranded one run short of fifty.
The finish was particularly frustrating for Shumba, who had taken control of the chase after Mbizo threatened to make a contest of it with three early wickets.
Gladiators had lost Lennox Chando for 10, Panashe Taruvinga for two and Naison Mare for 30, leaving them on 56 for three after seven overs.
Tapiwa Mushope claimed all three wickets and finished with 3/25 from four overs, but his efforts were undermined by Mbizo’s poor fielding.
Dropped catches and misfields allowed Gladiators to maintain the momentum, with Shumba punishing bad deliveries while Sunguro contributed 24 from 16 balls, including a four and a six.
The pair brought up their 50-run partnership from 32 deliveries and guided Gladiators past the target without further loss.
Earlier, the defending champions had justified their decision to field first with a disciplined bowling performance that prevented Mbizo from building a substantial total.
Mbizo managed only 30/2 in the Powerplay and were reduced to 51 for four after 9.3 overs as Gladiators maintained pressure through regular breakthroughs.
Prosper Useni offered the strongest resistance, scoring 34 from 23 balls with four fours and a six.
He combined with Brendon Hildebrand, who made 20 from 23 deliveries, in a 43-run fifth-wicket partnership that briefly revived Mbizo’s innings.
However, Useni’s dismissal at 94 for five ended the recovery, with Mbizo losing their remaining five wickets for just 28 runs.
Munashe Zata was the pick of the Gladiators bowlers with three for 21 from three overs, while Victor Nyauchi returned two for 25 from four.
Laksh Bakraina was equally effective, conceding just 16 runs in his four overs and claiming one wicket, while Shumba and Owen Muzondo also contributed a wicket apiece.
Mbizo were eventually dismissed for 122 from their allotted 20 overs, leaving Gladiators with a manageable target.
Although Mushope briefly threatened to disrupt the chase, the champions had enough batting depth to recover and finish the contest comfortably.
