TAKASHINGA Cricket Club continued with their winning formula at the Uganda Quadrangular Series after completing the first round unbeaten in all their three One Day encounters.

Takashinga have collected 15 points now from the three games with the most recent triumph being a 103-run victory over Uganda Select at the Lugogo Oval on Tuesday.

This keeps Takashinga way ahead of other teams in Uganda XI, Uganda Select and Kenya XI on the points table making them an early contender to clinch the 2016 Uganda Quadrangular Series.

“We have won three games which is the first round so it means in the second round we still have a lot to do,” Takashinga coach Erick Chauluka said.

On Tuesday, the massive run over Uganda Select was coined from the first session where Takashinga, batting first for the time in the series, were 196 all out in 37,4 overs before coming out fired up to bowl out Uganda Select for 93 in 28,3 overs.

Having lost the toss, Takashinga were sent in to bat and found themselves in deep trouble at 35-5 earlier before a match saving 105-run sixth-wicket partnership between Shingi Masakadza (70) and Timycen Maruma (51) stabilised the innings.

Chauluka expressed satisfaction with how his charges have applied themselves so far but stressed out the need to put in more hard yards.

“All I can say guys are putting in their weight just that on a more negative way the wickets that we are playing on are not the best that you can say you can put on a big score.

“We played there out of three games on one venue and the wickets were up and down, mainly down.”

He added: “The par score apparently in the three games has been 196 which is what we scored today (yesterday) and the scores from the two games like 180 and 160.

“If you put that score then you know for a fact that you have to come and bowl hard to defend that.”

Chasing a target of 197 was always going to be a burden for Uganda Select who couldn’t cope with the Takashinga bowling unit that was fraught with pace, extra bounce and spin.

Off spinner Tapiwa Mufudza (4-29) bagged his second four-wicket haul of the series while Shingi Masakadza and Tafadzwa Kamungozi had two wickets apiece and one each for Natsai M’shangwe and Richard Ngarava.

Meanwhile, the series takes a break today to allow teams rest and recharge before resuming tomorrow for the second and final round. 

Takashinga will play two of their games, against Uganda XI and Uganda Select, at the Kyambongo Oval. Despite the change of venue, Chauluka still expects a clean winning record in all remaining games.

“We still have lots of work to do because all of our games have been very close so which means we have to see the areas we didn’t do well to improve on that. Hopefully we looking forward to winning six out of six,” he said.