Tuskers storm into T20 final after dehorning Rhinos

Tuskers – 215-5 in 20 overs (Brian Chari 89, Craig Ervine 51, Bright Phiri 25; Tashinga Musekiwa 2/26, Ryan Burl 1/19, Chris Mpofu 1/23)

Rhinos – 137 all out in 16.3 overs (Brendan Taylor 43, Nyasha Mayavo 30, Carl Mumba 23; Thabo Mboyi 3/13, Tanatswa Bechani 2/21, Luke Jongwe 1/20)

Tuskers won by 78 runs

Tuskers have sealed their place in the 2020/21 Domestic T20 Competition final after they walloped Rhinos at Old Hararians Sports Club this Thursday.

They will face Eagles in the battle for the coveted silverware at the same venue tomorrow.

This morning, a dynamic start from their opening batsman Brian Chari, who scored 89 off only 46 balls, 10 of which he hit for six, gave Tuskers an advantage they never looked like losing in their final round-robin match against Rhinos.

Tuskers chose to bat on winning the toss, and Chari opened the scoring with a pull for six in the first over off Chris Mpofu.

Then the batsmen went on the rampage, taking advantage of the powerplay fields: Bright Phiri hit two successive sixes off Shingi Masakadza, and when Brandon Mavuta came on Chari hammered two fours and two sixes in one over.

The team fifty came up in 4.1 overs, and it included six sixes, three from each batsman.

Off the next delivery, though, Phiri swung mightily across the line to a straight ball from Ryan Burl and was bowled, having scored 25 off 13 balls.

Craig Ervine, after his great innings of yesterday, played his first three balls with care, before pulling a short one to the boundary.

Chari, however, continued on his extravagant way, hitting Manson Chikowero for three successive sixes in the next over.

After a few balls, Ervine felt his form of yesterday was ready to use, and hit three sixes in five balls, and the team hundred appeared on the board off the last ball of the eighth over.

Chari reached his fifty off 22 balls, with his seventh six, and then made the total 10, with three more in succession off Charles Kunje.

After 10 overs the score was 146 for one wicket.

Ervine reached his fifty off 28 balls, but the next delivery from Tashinga Musekiwa he skyed into the covers and was out for 51, with four sixes and four fours; 165 for two in the 14th over.

Then at 174 Chari pulled a ball from Mumba and was caught at square leg, after a brilliant display of hitting that well deserved a century.

Sean Williams and Luke Jongwe were now together, until Musekiwa had Jongwe caught off a skyer to mid-on for 12, and then Mpofu dismissed Milton Shumba to the first ball he faced, off another skyer, making the score 196 for five in the 19th over.

Williams and Clive Madande took the score to 215 for five after the 20 overs were completed, finishing not out with 24 and six respectively.

Musekiwa took two wickets for 26, but the only bowler to keep the runs down was Mpofu, who took one for 23 in his four overs.

With such a huge target, it was necessary for Rhinos to hit out virtually from the start of their innings.

Brendan Taylor and Takudzwa Kaitano opened the batting for Rhinos, but Kaitano, after hitting a four, was out lbw aiming a half-hearted sweep at a ball from Ainsley Ndlovu.

At 15 Burl (3) tried to drive Ndlovu for six but was caught at long-on.

Taylor hit out with more success and brought up the team fifty in the fifth over.

He reached 43 off 24 balls when he tried to scoop a straight ball from Thabo Mboyi over square leg and was out lbw, at 66 for three wickets in the seventh over.

Rhinos were now doomed to another defeat, as Kunje and Nyasha Mayavo kept up a stream of singles but were rarely able to hit the boundaries they needed.

They put on 30 in five overs before Kunje was caught off Williams for 11, and then the middle order imploded.

Mayavo had done his best for his team by scoring 30 off 25 balls, but he was caught off Mboyi, who bowled Musekiwa first ball.

Johnathan Campbell was run out by Chari for one in the next over, making the score now 108 for seven wickets in the 14th over.

Mumba had a brief fling, hitting two sixes and a four in scoring 23 off 10 balls before skying a catch into the covers.

The last two wickets fell to successive deliveries from Tanatswa Bechani and Rhinos completed their dismal tournament by being bowled out for 137 and losing the match by 78 runs.

Mboyi did a fine job by taking three wickets for 13 in the only two overs he allowed, while Bechani had his two for 21 runs.

Before Tuskers and Eagles face off in tomorrow’s final, first Southern Rocks will take on Mountaineers in a third-place playoff.

2020/21 DOMESTIC T20 COMPETITION POINTS TABLE

SOURCE: ZIMBABWE CRICKET