Phiri, Sithole orchestrate Mat North's destruction of Mash West

Matabeleland North 302-9 (50.0 ov) Sean Phiri 106, Ashley Phiri 72; Lewis Mushaninga 2/29, Tashinga Chitumba 2/36

Mashonaland West 164 (38.1 ov) Lewis Mushaninga 31; Petros Sithole 5/59, Wesley Moyo 2/6

Matabeleland won by 138 runs

Sean Phiri’s magnificent century and Petros Sithole’s five-wicket demolition job powered Matabeleland North to a crushing 138-run victory over Mashonaland West at Old Hararians Sports Club in Harare on Saturday, as North announced themselves as genuine title contenders in the 2026 Zimbabwe Cricket Associate League.

Winning the toss and choosing to bat, North were given a flying start by Vitalis Buwu’s punchy 28 before Phiri took centre stage in spectacular fashion.

The right-hander was imperious from the outset, driving and cutting his way to 106 off 100 balls – a knock laced with 19 fours – in an innings of rare authority that defined the match. Captain Ashley Phiri joined the onslaught with 72 from 68 balls, and the pair added 135 for the fourth wicket to propel North to 302 for nine from their fifty overs.

The 43 extras conceded by West’s bowlers told its own story of a side already in disarray before a ball had been bowled in the second innings.

Facing a daunting target, West were never in the contest. Petros Sithole –

with a different kind of brilliance – tore through the batting order with five wickets for 59, reducing West to 39 for three inside 16 overs.

Lewis Mushaninga offered some resistance with 31, and Tashinga Chitumba’s brief cameo of 17 provided a flicker of defiance, but wickets continued to fall at regular intervals.

Wesley Moyo chipped in with two wickets from just over two overs as West were rolled for 164 in the 39th over.

2026 Zimbabwe Cricket Associate League latest table

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