Mountaineers face uphill task, as Eagles rout Tuskers

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Southern Rocks – 292 and 325 all out in 90.5 overs (Andre Odendaal 47, Tafadzwa Tsiga 46, Richmond Mutumbami 43; Clive Chitumba 4/66, Wellington Masakadza 3/57, Victor Nyauchi 1/23)

Mountaineers – 211 and 9-0 in 6 overs (Gary Chirimuuta 8*, Joylord Gumbie 1*)

 

Day 3 – Stumps: Mountaineers need 398 runs

 

Another rousing innings of 47 by Andre Odendaal was the highlight of a Southern Rocks innings that lasted almost the entire third day at Harare Sports Club for 325 without containing an individual fifty.

 

Rocks began the day at 36 for one wicket, with Brian Mudzinganyama on 13 and Patrick Mambo three.

 

Mudzinganyama made a good start and scored 10 off Clive Chitumba’s first over, mainly by handsome drives.

 

Chitumba in his third over trapped Mambo lbw for eight, and then had Tadiwanashe Marumani hitting a boundary off his first ball — only to finish the over by removing him lbw as well; 60 for three.

 

In his next over Mudzinganyama went for a drive and slashed a catch to Shingi Masakadza at slip, to depart for 36, and at 69 for four Rocks needed to regroup, with Roy Kaia and Richmond Mutumbami at the crease now.

 

Mutumbami’s method of regrouping was to attack the bowling, and he quickly peeled off six fours in quick succession off some loose bowling.

 

Kaia then joined the party and runs came very quickly at about six an over – the fifty partnership was reached in exactly eight overs.

 

The bowlers tidied up and the run rate slowed down, but they couldn’t break the partnership before lunch, when the score was 142 for four, with Mutumbami on 42 and Kaia 30.

 

The lunch interval proved a good change bowler, though, as after adding only a single to his score Mutumbami was lbw to Chitumba and Rocks were 146 for five.

 

Four runs later Kaia (34) stepped back to force away a ball from Wellington Masakadza and edged it to the keeper.

 

However, another good stand was in the offing, as Tafadzwa Tsiga and William Mashinge played very cautiously at first and then gradually began to push the score along.

 

They put on 48 together before Dion Myers produced a fine yorker that beat Mashinge’s bat and shattered his stumps for 22; 198 for seven.

 

Tsiga and Tendai Chisoro batted steadily until tea, when the score was 219 for seven, a lead now of exactly 300, and they had 35 and nine respectively.

 

Afterward they played more aggressive cricket until Tsiga, on 46, tried to reach his fifty off Wellington Masakadza but was caught at mid-on with the total 249.

 

The big-hitting Odendaal was in next, and he was soon assaulting the bowlers in his usual style, with a soaring six over extra cover off Wellington Masakadza and three successive fours off the leg-spinner Vincent Masekesa.

 

Chisoro tried to emulate him with some powerful leg-side slogs, but when he missed he was out lbw to Masekesa for 41; 291 for nine.

 

Travor Mutsamba at No 11 nobly kept his wicket intact in support of his partner, and Odendaal was again last out, slicing a catch off Wellington Masakadza to backward point for 47; he faced 49 balls and hit a six and five fours.

 

Mutsamba was not out with a commendable 10, and the total was 325, as Rocks seemed determined, with plenty of time in hand, to set Mountaineers an unassailable target; they need 407 to win.

 

Chitumba was the most successful of the Mountaineers bowlers, with four wickets for 66, while the accurate Masakadza was overall the best, with three for 57 off 28.5 overs.

 

The same two batsmen now turned bowlers as Mountaineers went in to begin their enormous task, with Joylord Gumbie and Gary Chirimuuta opening.

 

They survived until the close, though not without a couple of alarms, Gumbie ending the day with one run and Chirimuuta with eight, from two fours.

 

The total was nine for no wicket, and they will do magnificently if they can avoid defeat tomorrow, as Rocks look to complete a clean sweep of all their Logan Cup matches.

 

****************************************************************

 

Tuskers – 114 and 153 all out in 49 overs (Luke Jongwe 32, John Nyumbu 27, Clive Madande 25; Richard Ngarava 4/46, Wessly Madhevere 2/6, Brad Evans 1/9)

Eagles – 344 all out in 89.3 overs (Regis Chakabva 164, Faraz Akram 65, Rodney Mupfudza 24; John Nyumbu 4/76, Arnold Shara 2/35, Ainsley Ndlovu 2/90)

 

Eagles won by an innings and 77 runs

Wessely Madhevere put the finishing touches on the Eagles victory over Tuskers at Old Hararians Sports Club today by taking the last two wickets in three balls.

 

Tuskers were 115 for eight overnight in their second innings, still 115 runs behind the home side and seemingly doomed to an innings defeat.

 

The overnight batsmen were Ernest Masuku and John Nyumbu, who had 12 and nought respectively, and they did their best to make Eagles fight for their triumph.

 

Their ninth-wicket partnership added exactly 50 runs to the score and lasted over an hour as they sold their wickets dearly.

 

At last Madhevere, the Eagles captain, brought himself on to bowl and he did the trick for his team.

 

Nyumbu hit him for four and two, but then lofted a catch to depart for 27, scored off 41 balls.

 

Two balls later Madhevere bowled Masuku for 20 to end the innings and the match, with the score on 153 and the margin of victory an innings and 77 runs.

 

Richard Ngarava was the best of the bowlers, taking four wickets for 46 runs, although he could not break through this morning.

 

Apart from Madhevere’s two wickets in his single over, four other bowlers had a wicket each in the innings.

 

Their victory assures Eagles of second place in the Logan Cup table, behind Rocks.

 

2020/21 LOGAN CUP POINTS TABLE

 

ZIMBABWE CRICKET