NATIONAL Premier League defending champions Takashinga Patriots 1 had Queens Sports Club throw spanners on their path towards a second NPL trophy after losing by 150 runs in Kwekwe.
Patriots 1 uncharacteristically fell for less than 100 runs scoring 71 all out inside 24.4 overs in chase of Queens’ 221/7 in their alloted 45 overs.
Spinner Tanatswa Bechani stole the show with a seven-wicket haul for 11 runs in his 7.4-over spell leaving Isheunopa Musekiwa, Vusi Kasipani and Chris Mpofu to pick up the pieces with a wicket each.
On a difficult afternoon, Patriots 1 lost opener Tinashe Kamunhukamwe off the first ball of their chase, trapped plum by Mpofu for a golden duck.
His fellow opener Bryn Majoka followed his back to the pavilion the next over for one after Petros Sithole caught him off Musekwa’s bowling.
On 6/2 after 1.4 overs, the defending champions were looking for a way out. A 32-run partnership between team captain Timycen Maruma (8) and Innocent Kaia seemed to had brought some impetus back into the innings before Maruma became Bechani’s first victim, bowled out on the last ball of the 11th over.
Bechani’s introduction into the attack became the source of Patriots 1 problems as he went on to bully the Highfield batsmen singlehandedly claiming six more scalps.
Kaia top-scored for Patriots with a 46-ball 31 before Bechani caught him from the bowling of Kasipani.
Bechani, an opening batsman also contributed immensely to his team getting past the 200-run mark scoring 37 off 47 balls up the order before being caught and bowled by three-wicket hero Privilege Chesa. Rowyn Konson led the way with a half-century, 55 (67), Ian Fuzane scored 41 while Mpofu weighed in with 39 for Queens. Patriots 1 skipper Maruma took two wickets.
The defeat saw Patriots 1 sliding to position six on 60 points while Queens are on number seven.
