Eagles – 76-8 in 13 overs (Kudzai Maunze 22, Matt Parkinson 18, Tadiwanashe Marumani 11; Ernest Masuku 3/12, Chris Mpofu 1/13, Ainsley Ndlovu 1/13)

Tuskers – 78-2 in 10.3 overs (Tanu Makoni 42*, Clive Madande 18, Milton Shumba 12*; Tapiwa Mufudza 2/14)

 

Tuskers won by eight wickets

 

Excellent bowling from Ernest Masuku, followed by a fine innings of 42 not out from Tanu Makoni, brought Tuskers an easy eight-wicket victory over Eagles in the opening match of the 2022/23 Domestic Twenty20 Competition at Harare Sports Club on Monday.

Overnight rain delayed the start and the match had to be reduced to 13 overs a side.

The Eagles top-order batting collapsed after they were put in to bat, the first five wickets falling for 18 runs.

Tadiwanashe Marumani made 11 of them, but Chamu Chibhabha and Nick Welch failed to score.

In his first over, Masuku dismissed Wessly Madhevere for five and Chibhabha.

Kudzai Maunze (22) and English professional Matt Parkinson (18) brought about something of a recovery, but a final score of only 76 for eight wickets was a serious disadvantage.

Tuskers lost Nkosana Mpofu for five, but Makoni played a fine innings, with help from Clive Madande (18) and Milton Shumba (12 not out) to take Tuskers home in relative comfort with 15 balls in hand.

Both wickets fell to Tapiwa Mufudza, who did well to take two for 14 in his three overs.

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Lions – 136-5 in 15 overs (Awad Naqvi 35, Hamid Ali 34, Blessed Muzite 24; Shingi Masakadza 2/19, Wellington Masakadza 1/21, Donald Tiripano 1/26)

Mega Market Mountaineers – 137-4 in 14.1 overs (PJ Moor 59*, Brian Bennett 41, Kevin Kasuza 15; Kudakwashe Macheka 2/19, Nkosilathi Nungu 1/27, Marshal Takodza 1/31)

 

Mega Market Mountaineers won by six wickets

 

At Old Hararians, there was a good match as PJ Moor hit a rollicking 59 not out that, with fine support from Brian Bennett, took Mega Market Mountaineers to a six-wicket victory over the young Lions team.

This match had to be reduced to 15 overs per side after a delayed start.

Lions, put in to bat, were given a fine start by Awad Naqvi (35) and Hamid Ali (34), who put on 67 for the first wicket in 6.3 overs.

Both were dismissed by Shingi Masakadza, but Blessed Muzite (24) and Christopher Masike (14) helped to boost the score to 136 for five, an excellent total in 15 overs.

Mountaineers lost Kevin Kasuza for 15, but then came the match-winning partnership for the second wicket between Moor and the former Under-19 player Bennett.

They added 93 together in only 8.2 overs before Bennett was out after a brilliant display of hitting: 41 runs off 22 balls, with three sixes and three fours.

Tony Munyonga hit two sixes before he was out, while Moor stayed to finish with 59 not out, having faced 41 balls and hit two sixes and six fours.

Kuda Macheka did best of the bowlers, with two wickets for 19 in his three overs.

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Southern Rocks – 121-9 in 20 overs (Gary Ballance 37, Roy Kaia 36, Innocent Kaia 15; Antum Naqvi 4/20, Mike Chinouya 4/24, Neville Madziva 1/11)

Rhinos – 122-4 in 15 overs (Eddie Byrom 34, Ryan Burl 33*, Antum Naqvi 26*; Nick Gubbins 3/28, Sydney Murombo 1/12)

 

Rhinos won by six wickets

A good all-round performance by Antum Naqvi played a major part in Rhinos’ comfortable six-wicket victory over Southern Rocks in the afternoon match at Harare Sports Club on Monday.

Naqvi took four wickets and then scored 26 not out as his share of the win.

With the weather remaining dry, 20 overs per side were possible.

Rocks, put in to bat, saw Cephas Zhuwao hit a six and then get bowled out by Naqvi in their first over, which finished with Ben Curran bowled out without scoring.

Naqvi took a third wicket when he had Nick Gubbins caught for two, and Rocks were in real trouble when Innocent Kaia went for 15 to make the score 31 for four in the sixth over.

Then Roy Kaia joined Gary Ballance and the pair effected a fine recovery, adding 62 runs in nine overs, scoring 36 and 37 respectively.

Mike Chinouya however brought about another collapse, so Rocks finished on 121 for nine wickets.

It is not often a bowler in this format of cricket is able to take four wickets in his four overs, but both Naqvi, for 20 runs, and Chinouya, for 24, achieved this.

When Rhinos batted, Tarisai Musakanda hit up a quick 14, but Eddie Byrom provided stability when Nyasha Mayavo and Johnathan Campbell both went to successive deliveries from Nick Gubbins at 43.

When Byrom himself was out for 34 in the 11th over, with the score at 72, the match was again in the balance, but Naqvi was still there, batting well and ready to take over the stabilising role.

The final thrust was provided by Ryan Burl, who hit up 33 not out off 17 balls, with two sixes and two fours, to sweep Rhinos to victory with five overs to spare.

Naqvi was also unbeaten with 26, scored off 25 balls.

The English professional Gubbins was the pick of the bowlers with three for 28 off his four overs.

 

2022/23 DOMESTIC T20 COMPETITION POINTS TABLE

Northerns – 192-5 in 20 overs (Milton Shumba 54, Tony Munyonga 30, Tadiwanashe Marumani 23; Ernest Masuku 2/26, Nkosilathi Nungu 1/41, Brighton Chipungu 1/51)

Southerns – 158-9 in 20 overs (Richmond Mutumbami 48*, Wessly Madhevere 33, Bright Phiri 30; Brad Evans 4/22, Ainsley Ndlovu 3/27, Donald Tiripano 1/38)

 

Northerns won by 34 runs

A dazzling knock of 54 by Milton Shumba was the highlight of a devastating innings of 192 for five wickets by Northerns in the third and final regional T20 match at Old Hararians Sports Club on Thursday, leading to a full house of victories over Southerns, this one by 34 runs.

Southerns again won the toss and this time put Northerns in to bat, but this did not work out for them either.

Tadiwanashe Marumani and Kevin Kasuza attacked the bowling from the outset and put on 45 for the first wicket before both fell in the sixth over to Ernest Masuku for 23 and 19 respectively.

Tafadzwa Tsiga scored 19 off 20 balls, but he was quite overshadowed by Shumba, who hit five sixes and a four in his brilliant innings.

Tony Munyonga was the most destructive of all, lofting four sixes as he scored 30 runs off only 11 balls before being run out.

There was even then no respite for the bowlers, as in the final overs Donald Tiripano scored 16 not out off 13 balls and Brad Evans 21 not out off 12.

The final total after 20 overs was a daunting 192 for five wickets.

Masuku came off best of the bowlers with two wickets for 26 off his four overs, although Marshal Takodza also escaped the worst of the carnage with only 24 runs coming from his four.

The other bowlers all had the misfortune to travel for more than 40 runs off their four overs.

Southerns were in with a hopeless task, but they could only do their best, and three of their batters were able to put up a good fight.

Takudzwanashe Kaitano scored seven runs, including a six, off three balls before Ainsley Ndlovu removed him lbw with the fourth in the first over.

Bright Phiri did his best and scored 30 off 22 balls, with a six and four fours.

Wessly Madhevere scored 33 off 20 balls (five fours), while Tino Mutombodzi also reached double figures with 11 off 14 balls.

The top scorer, though, was the captain Richmond Mutumbami, who came in at number six and scored 48 not out off 28 balls, with three sixes and three fours.

He was unable to find a lasting partner, though, and was still unbeaten at the close of his team’s innings at 158 for nine wickets, a worthy score but well short of what was required.

Ndlovu had picked up three early wickets for 27 runs in his four overs, while Evans for the most part rattled out the tail, with four for 22 in four.

Southerns – 168-8 in 20 overs (Clive Madande 55, Tino Mutombodzi 36, Richmond Mutumbami 31; Brad Evans 3/27, Victor Nyauchi 2/34, Tendai Chatara 2/47)

Northerns – 171-4 in 18.3 overs (Tadiwanashe Marumani 38, Milton Shumba 38, Kevin Kasuza 34; Wessly Madhevere 2/24, Brandon Mavuta 1/30, Luke Jongwe 1/38)

 

Northerns won by six wickets

 

Tadiwanashe Marumani and Kevin Kasuza shared a brilliant 76-run stand for the first wicket to give Northerns the impetus they needed to haul down a Southerns score of 168 in the first regional T20 match at Old Hararians Sports Club on Tuesday.

Southerns batted first on winning the toss, but were soon in trouble, as in the first four overs they lost their opening batters Takudzwanashe Kaitano for five and Bright Phiri for 11.

Wessly Madhevere could not get going and scored only a single off eight balls before he too was out, three different bowlers picking up the wickets.

Tino Mutombodzi and Clive Madande came to the rescue, with Mutombodzi especially hitting boldly to score 36 off 23 balls, with two sixes and three fours.

The biggest partnership, though, was between Madande and Richmond Mutumbami, who in six overs put on 71 for the fifth wicket before Brad Evans removed them both in the space of three balls, Mutumbami for 31 (16 balls) and Madande for 55 (41 balls).

Luke Jongwe scored 11 as the later batters hit out and the innings finished at 168 for eight.

Evans with three for 27 returned the best figures, while there were two wickets each for Tendai Chatara and Victor Nyauchi.

Ainsley Ndlovu, however, was the most economical bowler, with no wickets for only 21 runs off his four overs.

Northerns made a brilliant start to their reply, with Kasuza and Marumani blazing away at the bowlers from the start.

They put on 76 for the first wicket in only 7.2 overs before Marumani was out for 38 off 21 balls, with two sixes and five fours.

Timycen Maruma went for two, and then Kasuza was removed for 34 off 31 balls to make the score 113 for three in the 12th over.

However, they enjoyed another major partnership at exactly the right time, as Milton Shumba and Tony Munyonga made 53 together in six overs.

Shumba was bowled by Madhevere for 38 with only three runs needed, and Tafadzwa Tsiga came in to hit the winning four in the following over, the 19th.

Munyonga was unbeaten with 31 off 23 balls, and victory came quite comfortably in the end by six wickets with nine balls in hand.

Madhevere was both the most successful and the most economical bowler with two wickets for 24 in his four overs.

 

Northerns and Southerns will meet again in two more T20 matches scheduled for this Wednesday and Thursday at the same venue.

Rhinos – 169-4 in 20 overs (Prince Masvaure 84*, Nyasha Mayavo 31, Johnathan Campbell 29*; Sydney Murombo 2/35, Roy Kaia 1/29, Tendai Chisoro 1/30)

Southern Rocks – 160-9 in 20 overs (Cephas Zhuwao 50, Innocent Kaia 41, Tafadzwa Tsiga 16; Brandon Mavuta 2/12, Neville Madziva 2/18, Tashinga Musekiwa 2/19)

 

Rhinos won by nine runs

 

Rhinos got the better of Southern Rocks by nine runs in a thrilling Domestic T20 Competition third-place playoff match – perhaps the best and most exciting game of this tournament – played at Harare Sports Club on Thursday.

 

The Rocks pair of Cephas Zhuwao and Innocent Kaia appeared to be taking their team to victory chasing a tough target, but when both were dismissed by consecutive deliveries from Brandon Mavuta the rest of their batting could not sustain the challenge as Rhinos fought back decisively with the ball to win.

Rocks put Rhinos in to bat when they won the toss, but they soon found their bowlers unable to take advantage of the situation.

Takudzwanashe Kaitano quickly hit two fours, but then he was caught out by Tendai Chisoro off Sydney Murombo with the score at 25 in the fourth over.

Rhinos then took a grip on their innings as Nyasha Mayavo joined Prince Masvaure and the pair put on 90 runs in exactly 10 overs.

Murombo ended the partnership at 115 when he bowled Mayavo for 31 (28 balls) in the 14th over, but most of the scoring was done by Masvaure, an outstanding innings from a batter more often known for his solid batting in red-ball cricket.

There were some minor hiccups at this stage, as Tashinga Musekiwa went for one and Neville Madziva for six, but then Johnathan Campbell joined Masvaure and the two hit out in excellent style for the rest of the innings.

Campbell was not out with 29 at the end, having hit a six and three fours in facing 17 balls.

Masvaure’s masterpiece reached 84 not out after he batted throughout the 20 overs, facing 58 balls and hitting a six and 11 fours.

All the bowlers went for at least seven runs an over, with Murombo returning the best figures of two for 35 off his four overs.

No total can be considered safe, however, when Zhuwao is among the opposition.

Zhuwao and Innocent Kaia were quite undeterred by the difficult task before them, and cracked up 40 runs in the first four overs of their innings.

Remarkably, at this stage Kaia was scoring faster than his fearsome partner, and after both had faced 18 balls he had made 29 runs against Zhuwao’s 21.

But Zhuwao was not to be denied for long, and he shot ahead of Kaia in the 30s, with the bowlers quite unable to stop the carnage.

The team hundred came up without loss in the 10th over – by the end of it the score was 105, Zhuwao had reached 50 off 35 balls, and the match appeared to be Rocks’ to lose.

Suddenly, though, the situation changed, as Zhuwao skyed a catch off Mavuta and was caught for 50, scored off 36 balls with five fours and a six.

The batters had crossed and off the next ball Kaia, his concentration probably disturbed, was in turn caught for 41 – he faced 28 balls and hit four fours and a six.

So brilliantly had these two hit, however, that Rocks were still in a position of strength, with Roy Kaia and Tadiwanashe Marumani now at the crease.

Marumani was quickly out for three and at 134 Roy Kaia was out for 14 – the match was getting tight.

Then Richmond Mutumbami was caught for seven as the batters desperately tried to keep up with the run rate, and 23 were needed off the final two overs.

It was just too late for Rocks, as Tsiga was next to go for 16 – 147 for six with 11 balls left.

The Rhinos bowling now had such a grip on the situation that the batters could only scramble a few ones and twos, and there were two run-outs and a bowled victim in the final over as the Rocks’ brilliant challenge faded away at 159 for nine.

The man who turned the match around, Mavuta, only bowled two overs, and had figures of the two crucial wickets for 12 runs.

Musekiwa had two wickets for 19 runs in his three overs and Neville Madziva two for 17 in three, while Trevor Gwandu did a good job with one for 19 in three overs.

Eight bowlers were used altogether in Rhinos’ desperate attempts to split the opening pair, and remarkably not one of them bowled his full quota of four overs in this innings.

 

Meanwhile, Alliance Health Eagles and Mountaineers will meet in the Domestic T20 Competition final at Harare Sports Club on Saturday, with the match set to start at 1330 hours.

Southern Rocks – 146-5 in 20 overs (Roy Kaia 38, Cephas Zhuwao 31, Richmond Mutumbami 27*; Wessly Madhevere 3/22, Brad Evans 1/30)

Alliance Health Eagles – 147-3 in 18.1 overs (Tinashe Kamunhukamwe 77, Wessly Madhevere 22*, Kudzai Maunze 19; Roy Kaia 2/13) 

 

Alliance Health Eagles won by seven wickets

 

Tinashe Kamunhukamwe’s dazzling innings of 77 off just 53 balls propelled Alliance Health Eagles to a seven-wicket victory over Southern Rocks at Old Hararians Sports Club on Tuesday.

 

The victory saw them storming into the Domestic T20 Competition final, completing a remarkable turnaround after they lost their first two matches of the tournament.

Rocks had decided to bat on winning the toss.

Their not-so-secret weapon, Cephas Zhuwao, launched the innings with typical power, smashing two sixes and two fours as he raced to 31 off 23 balls.

Then, with the score 43 in the fifth over, Brad Evans dismissed him lbw, to the great relief of his team.

His partner Innocent Kaia soon followed him for seven and, with Tadiwanashe Marumani going for 15 and Tafadzwa Tsiga for 10, the innings was in danger of losing its way at 71 for four in the 10th over.

Then came a vital partnership, as Richmond Mutumbami joined Roy Kaia and the pair, scoring at a run a ball, put on 61 in just over nine overs, with Kaia run out for 38 at the end of the 19th over.

Mutumbami finished with 27 not out as the innings closed on 146 for five wickets.

Wessly Madhevere again did an excellent job with the ball, taking three wickets for 22 in his four overs.

Eagles soon gave notice of their determination to win again as Kamunhukamwe and Kudzai Maunze got the innings going at a cracking rate.

 

By the time Roy Kaia bowled Maunze for 19 off only 10 balls in the fourth over, the score was already 35.

Chamu Chibhabha played a steady supporting role to score 15 off 26 balls as he put on 45 in seven overs with Kamunhukamwe.

After he was caught at the wicket, also off Roy Kaia, Madhevere took over while Kamunhukamwe went from strength to strength.

Victory was virtually assured when Kamunhukamwe was run out from a throw by Marumani for 77, with the score now 130 for three in the 17th over – he faced only 53 balls and hit two sixes and eight fours.

It took only another 10 balls for Eagles to complete their victory, with Madhevere not out with 22 and Evans with eight.

Roy Kaia was not only his side’s top batter in this match, but also their best bowler, as in his four overs he took two wickets and conceded only 13 runs.

 

Eagles will now face table-toppers Mountaineers in the Domestic T20 Competition final scheduled for Saturday at Harare Sports Club.

 

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Tuskers – 116-9 in 20 overs (Milton Shumba 35, Thabo Mboyi 17, Bright Phiri 15; John Masara 2/9, Tendai Chatara 2/20, Shingi Masakadza 2/34)

Mountaineers – 118-2 in 16.3 overs (Kevin Kasuza 70*, Tony Munyonga 21*, PJ Moor 14; John Nyumbu 1/19, Ainsley Ndlovu 1/13)

 

Mountaineers won by eight wickets

A brilliant innings of 70 not out by Kevin Kasuza swept Mountaineers to a fine victory by eight wickets over Tuskers at Harare Sports Club on Tuesday.

Tuskers decided to bat first on winning the toss, but the move never really looked like coming off successfully.

Neither did the promotion of Clive Madande to open the batting, as he was bowled by Tendai Chatara for six in the second over.

Bright Phiri, the other opener, did his best for the team, hitting three fours as he scored 15 off 13 balls before being caught off Tinashe Muchawaya.

After that Milton Shumba was the only batter who shaped up well, as he ran to 35 off 29 balls, hitting a six and four fours.

But he could not find a reliable partner, and the other middle-order batters were all soon dismissed for single-figure scores, although Luke Jongwe (9) might have made something of his innings had he not been run out.

Eight wickets were down for 88 before there came the highest partnership of the innings – but this was worth only 22 for the ninth wicket, as Thabo Mboyi made 17 off 15 balls, along with Sheu Musekwa, who was nine not out when the innings closed for a disappointing 116 for nine wickets.

Four Mountaineers bowlers shared the wickets, with John Masara coming off best with two for nine in his three overs, while Chatara and Shingi Masakadza also took two wickets each.

The result was not long in any doubt, as Kasuza opened the Mountaineers innings with a blaze of strokes.

His partner, PJ Moor, scored 14 off 16 balls and when he was caught off John Nyumbu the score was 67 in the ninth over.

Spencer Magodo was out for seven, but by now the score was 88 for two in the 12th over.

Tony Munyonga decided to give Kasuza some rivalry, and he hit out to such purpose that off 17 balls he hit 21 not out and blasted a six off Shumba to win the match in the 17th over.

Kasuza finished unbeaten with 70, scored off only 54 balls, and it included a six and three fours.

Nyumbu was the only regular bowler to escape serious punishment, as his four overs cost 19 runs and he took the wicket of Moor.

Mountaineers have won all four of their round-robin matches in this competition and will now meet Eagles in the final scheduled for Saturday.

 

2021/22 DOMESTIC T20 COMPETITION POINTS TABLE