A very funny incident occurred during the match between SOGO Rangers and Rainbow 1 Cricket Club in Zimbabwe’s domestic 45 overs competition, the ‘National Premier League’. Rainbow batsman Francis Sande accidentally hit the umpire with his bat after guiding his team to victory in a nail-biting clash.
SOGO Rangers were bowled out for 229 with five balls remaining in their innings. No. 3 batsman Mathew Welch top-scored for the Rangers, scoring 52 runs. Tanatswa Marumani played a quickfire knock of 34 runs in the final overs. Daniel Jackiel and Francis Sande secured three wickets each for Rainbow 1 CC.
In reply, Rainbow 1 lost both openers Ronak Patel and Dhruv Patel for 23 runs in the first 10 overs. Lavert Masunda scored an impressive 66 runs to take his team close to the target. However, he was dismissed when the score was 181 in 37.3 overs. Sande and Jackiel added 45 runs for the seventh wicket.
Watch – Francis Sande accidentally hits the umpire with his bat
The match was decided on the last ball, with Rainbow needing four runs to win. Francis Sande faced Zimbabwe international Ryan Burl for the last ball of the match. Sande hit the ball over the rope at long-off point for a six with a powerful shot. Sande and his teammates celebrated wildly after securing the win.
After scoring the winning six points, Sande threw his bat into the air, which accidentally hit the umpire on the back of his leg as he fell. The umpire showed signs of pain, but Sande continued his celebration with a unique dance before being surrounded by his teammates. The incident quickly went viral on social media.
“Scenes like this generate a lot of fun among fans, so it is no surprise that the video went viral on social media in no time. offers hot action! “Rainbow wanted 4 runs on the last ball against SOGO Rangers,” the caption read.
The offers hot, sissling action! 🙌🏻
Rainbow wanted 4 runs on the last ball against SOGO Rangers 🎥#NPL2024 image.twitter.com/oj0bwT1X4Q
— Zimbabwe National Cricket (@zcdomestic) July 31, 2024
As for the Zimbabwe national team, they are currently in full swing. After the 2024 T20 World Cup, they hosted India and won the first T20I of a five-match series. However, India went on to win the next four matches in the series. Zimbabwe also lost a Test match against Ireland.
Read also: ‘We will not sit in small groups’: Suryakumar Yadav hints at rift in Indian dressing room