Eagles juggernaut rolls on, Tuskers edge thriller to claim first win

Mountaineers – 168 all out in 35.2 overs (Brian Bennett 61, Kevin Kasuza 40, Spencer Magodo 19*; Tapiwa Mufudza 4/36, Wessly Madhevere 2/16, Alex Russell 2/51)

Eagles – 169-1 in 21.2 overs (Tinashe Kamunhukamwe 71*, Nick Welch 50, Kudzai Maunze 41*; Tendai Chatara 1/57)

Eagles gained by 9 wickets

Tinashe Kamunhukamwe’s nice kind continued as his innings of 71 not out led Eagles to a simple nine-wicket victory over Mountaineers of their Pro50 Championship match at Mutare Sports activities Membership on Sunday.

Mountaineers, put in to bat, had been bowled out in solely 35.2 overs for 168 runs, with Tapiwa Mufudza as so typically taking the bowling honours as he claimed 4 middle-order wickets for 36 runs.

The hosts quickly misplaced the wicket for Joylord Gumbie for 4, however Kevin Kasuza was in cracking kind, making 40 off solely 42 balls.

Brian Bennett was a superb accomplice for him, and the rating reached 96 earlier than Kasuza was third out.

Bennett raced to 61 off 60 balls, however when he was lbw to Mufudza at 143 for 5 the wheels started to fall off.

Spencer Magodo scored 19 not out from quantity seven, however the tail collapsed badly, the final 4 batters scoring solely three runs amongst them.

The whole of 168 left virtually 15 overs unbowled of their innings.

Nick Welch and Kamunhukamwe produced one other of their dynamic opening partnerships, with Welch working to his 50 off 41 balls when he was out lbw to Tendai Chatara, having hit three sixes and 4 fours.

That was the one wicket to fall, as Kudzai Maunze additionally scored at higher than a run a ball as he made 41 not out off 34 balls, at which level the match was gained.

Kamunhukamwe’s unbeaten 71 got here off 55 balls and included three sixes and eight fours.

Eagles have now gained all their first six matches performed on this Checklist A contest.

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Tuskers – 252-9 in 50 overs (Milton Shumba 67, Brian Chari 63, Clive Madande 26; Simon Mugava 3/34, Neville Madziva 3/42, Carl Mumba 2/28)

Rhinos – 249 all out in 48 overs (Antum Naqvi 100, Ben Curran 31, Tarisai Musakanda 31; Sean Williams 3/33, Ernest Masuku 2/41, Chris Mpofu 1/28)

Tuskers gained by three runs

Not even one other century from Antum Naqvi might protect Rhinos’ successful file on this Pro50 Championship marketing campaign, as in an exciting end Tuskers seized victory by three runs of their return match at Queens Sports activities Membership in Bulawayo on Sunday.

Tuskers, who determined to bat on successful the toss, didn’t make the perfect of begins, as they misplaced their opening pair for 34 runs, with Nkosana Mpofu failing to attain and Clive Madande out for 26.

Sean Williams scored 23, however he was not at his most fluent, taking 36 balls over them, however then Brian Chari and Milton Shumba breathed new life into the innings with a fourth-wicket partnership of 98 in 21 overs.

Chari was then dismissed for 63 off 98 balls, whereas Shumba went on to attain 67 off 88.

Each had been eliminated by the off-spinner Simon Mugava, who has now returned to Zimbabwe after a number of years in the UK.

Sadly, the later batters did not construct on this good partnership, as solely Brandon James (17 not out) reached double figures, and the innings tailed away to 252 for 9 wickets off the total 50 overs.

Mugava took three wickets for 34 runs and Neville Madziva three for 42.

Ben Curran is again in Zimbabwe and opened the batting for Rhinos with Takudzwanaishe Kaitano.

They scored 31 and 21 respectively and placed on 35 for the primary wicket, when the dismissal of Kaitano introduced in Naqvi.

4 wickets had been down for 100, after which Tarisai Musakanda lastly supplied Naqvi with a dependable accomplice, scoring 31 because the pair added 88 for the fifth wicket.

When Musakanda went out at 188 for 5 Rhinos had been effectively on target for victory, however the later batters did not help him.

It was not as if Rhinos had a weak tail – fairly the reverse, as Carl Mumba really batted at quantity 11.

Eight had been out for 219, however Mugava then caught in as Naqvi went on to achieve his century.

On precisely 100, although, Naqvi was run out by the wicketkeeper Madande, and Rhinos had been 235 for 9.

Mugava made a gallant bid for victory, scoring 16 not out, however Mumba was out lbw to Chris Mpofu for 3 and the innings closed at 249, simply 4 runs wanting victory with two overs to go.

Williams was the perfect of the bowlers, with three for 33 in 9 overs.

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