Chibhabha, Moor, Zhuwao hog the limelight with blazing fifties

Eagles – 171-6 in 20 overs (Chamu Chibhabha 81*, Nick Welch 25, Tadiwanashe Marumani 15; Donald Tiripano 2/20, Victor Nyauchi 1/20, Tinashe Muchawaya 1/27)

Mega Market Mountaineers – 153 all out in 16.5 overs (PJ Moor 89, Wellington Masakadza 22, Brian Bennett 16; Matt Parkinson 4/39, Tanaka Chivanga 3/30, Tawanda Dzikiti 1/11)

 

Eagles won by 18 runs

A brilliant innings of 81 not out by Chamu Chibhabha was the main factor in Eagles’ 18-run victory over Mega Market Mountaineers in the Domestic Twenty20 Competition at Harare Sports Club on Tuesday morning.

Put in to bat, Eagles did not begin too well, losing their openers to the bowling of Donald Tiripano for 31 runs, but their innings burst into life as Chibhabha and Nick Welch (25) shared a fourth-wicket partnership of 56 in seven overs.

After Welch was out it was all Chibhabha, as with little support from the later batters he completely dominated the bowling, and was not out at the end of the innings, having scored his 81 off 51 balls with three sixes and nine fours.

The total was 171 for six wickets, and Tiripano with two for 20 off three overs was the best of the bowlers.

The Mountaineers innings was even more of a one-man show, as PJ Moor, going in first, played an even more dazzling innings than Chibhabha, scoring 89 off 47 balls, with seven sixes and six fours.

Kevin Kasuza was bowled by Tawanda Dzikiti with the first ball of the innings, but Brian Bennett gave Moor support for a while as he scored 16 in a second-wicket partnership of 66.

The vital factor in the result of the match was the middle-order collapse that followed, mainly to the leg-breaks of Matt Parkinson – the next five batters scored just five runs among them as the innings crumbled to 81 for seven.

As long as Moor was still there, Mountaineers had hope, and finally Wellington Masakadza provided him with the partner he needed.

However, Moor’s brilliant innings ended at 138 for eight wickets in the 16th over, caught at the wicket off Parkinson.

Tanaka Chivanga then mopped up the last two wickets, and Mountaineers were dismissed for 153 in the 17th over.

Wellington Masakadza did his best with 22 not out off 17 balls, but otherwise the bowlers won, with Parkinson taking four for 39 and Chivanga three for 30.

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Rhinos – 200-6 in 20 overs (Carl Mumba 38, Tashinga Musekiwa 38, Nyasha Mayavo 35; Chris Mpofu 3/38, Ernest Masuku 2/30, Ainsley Ndlovu 1/11)

Tuskers – 164-5 in 20 overs (Milton Shumba 34, Clive Madande 33, Luke Jongwe 32; Carl Mumba 1/15, Mike Chinouya 1/20, Neville Madziva 1/29)

 

Rhinos won by 36 runs

Some consistent and explosive batting from Rhinos at Old Hararians Sports Club on Tuesday morning helped Rhinos to compile a daunting total of 200 for six wickets and beat Tuskers by 36 runs.

Eddie Byrom gave Rhinos a sound start after they were put in to bat with 29 off 34 balls, but the middle order tore into the bowling in fine style.

Nobody reached 40, but Nyasha Mayavo made 35 off 28 balls, which was exceeded by Tashinga Musekiwa (38 off 18) and Carl Mumba (38 off 17, with three sixes and three fours).

In spite of the onslaught, Chris Mpofu took three wickets for 38 and Ernest Masuku two for 30.

The only bowler to escape the hammer was Ainsley Ndlovu, who as captain gave himself only three overs, but remarkably only conceded 11 runs for the wicket of Mayavo.

Tuskers made a very good effort to chase down their huge target, and although they too batted with great consistency, they fell steadily behind the required run rate.

Four batters passed 30, starting with Nkosana Mpofu (30 off 22 balls), but again nobody cracked 40.

Clive Madande made 33 off 27 balls, Milton Shumba 34 off 24 and Luke Jongwe 32 off 19.

Five bowlers took a wicket each, another consistent effort, and this was enough to prevent, in the end, Tuskers from getting close.

The score in the end was 164 for five wickets, and Rhinos won comfortably by 36 runs, going to the top of the table as the only team to win both their matches.

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Lions – 118-9 in 20 overs (Blessed Muzite 46, Bright Phiri 29, Awad Naqvi 12; Keith Jaure 3/24, Sydney Murombo 2/8, Nick Gubbins 1/22)

Southern Rocks – 119-1 in 11.4 overs (Cephas Zhuwao 53, Innocent Kaia 34*, Roy Kaia 29*; Christopher Masike 1/12)

 

Southern Rocks won by nine wickets

A blistering innings of 53 off only 18 balls by Cephas Zhuwao showed the Lions how to roar as they went down to a nine-wicket defeat at the hands of Southern Rocks on Tuesday afternoon at Harare Sports Club.

Lions briefly looked good in the first over of the match, when after being put in to bat Awad Naqvi hit three fours off Travor Mutsamba, only to be bowled by Sydney Murombo in the second over without addition.

There was only one good partnership in their innings, when Blessed Muzite and Bright Phiri put on 56 for the third wicket, but when it was broken the score was 85 after 15 overs, rather on the slow side.

Phiri made 29 and Muzite went on to score 46, but the rest of the batting failed completely and when the ninth wicket fell to the last ball of the 20th over the score was only 118 for nine.

Keith Jaure finished off the innings with three wickets for 24 runs, while Murombo and Dylan Hondo took two wickets each, Murombo for just eight runs in three overs.

Zhuwao put the result beyond doubt in no time at all, hitting the young Wallace Mubayiwa’s first two balls of the innings for six, and after the first over the score was 27 for no wicket – Zhuwao 25 and two no-balls.

Another three balls faced in Trevor Gwandu’s next over saw him hit another 11 runs, and he reached his fifty in the fourth over off 17 balls, with two successive sixes off Christopher Masike.

At this point Zhuwao was caught off the next delivery and the bowlers no doubt heaved great sighs of relief, although by now, at 61 for one off 3.4 overs, the match was as good as over.

Roy Kaia now joined his cousin Innocent Kaia, and the two of them calmly completed the victory in the 12th over.

Both faced 27 balls, and Innocent finished with 34 runs, Roy with 29.

In the end it was a one-sided match, and a steep learning curve for the young Lions players, who are now the only team in the competition without a victory.

 

2022/23 DOMESTIC T20 COMPETITION POINTS TABLE