Mountaineers – 143-6 in 19 overs (Tony Munyonga 49, Spencer Magodo 28, Shingi Masakadza 22; Neville Madziva 3/29, Chris Mpofu 2/26, Brandon Mavuta 1/33)

Rhinos – 141-9 in 19 overs (Nyasha Mayavo 39, Takudzwanashe Kaitano 35, Neville Madziva 15; Victor Nyauchi 3/18, John Masara 2/21, Tony Munyonga 1/8)

Mountaineers won by two runs

Victor Nyauchi won a thrilling Domestic T20 Competition match for Mountaineers by taking two wickets in the final over as Rhinos fell just three runs short of their target at Old Hararians Sports Club on Sunday.

The match started late owing to rain, and was reduced to 19 overs per side.

Chris Mpofu struck two blows in his second over after Mountaineers were put in to bat.

He had PJ Moor caught for three and, three balls later, had Roy Kaia caught at the wicket for two – Mountaineers were now seven for two by the third over.

Tony Munyonga came out to join Spencer Magodo and the pair did well to take the score to 68 in nine overs before Neville Madziva bowled Magodo for a valuable 28.

Munyonga played quite a dazzling innings, scoring 49 off only 30 balls, with a six and six fours.

There was an entertaining partnership between the Masakadza brothers, who put on 31 in three overs, Wellington making 21 while Shingi smote 22 off only 10 balls, with two sixes and a four.

The innings closed at 143 for six, with Mpofu returning two wickets for 26 in his four overs, while Madziva took three for 29 in three overs.

Rhinos lost Prince Masvaure for one, caught by Moor off Victor Nyauchi, but Takudzwanashe Kaitano hit out boldly to score 35 off 24 balls before Nyauchi caught him off Shingi Masakadza, the score then being 76 for two after eight overs.

At the other end, Nyasha Mayavo was playing another fine innings, scoring 39, but then he was bowled by John Masara, and Tarisai Musakanda came and went for 13.

One run later, Brandon Mavuta was caught off Munyonga for six, and at 102 for five in the 13th over Rhinos found themselves in trouble.

Johnathan Campbell was out for nine, while Carl Mumba made eight – 129 for seven in the 18th over meant 15 runs were needed off the last 10 balls, and then eight off the final over, bowled by Nyauchi.

He bowled out Tashinga Musekiwa with his first ball – there was a leg-bye, and Madziva scored two twos.

For the last ball Madziva was on strike and needed three to win the match, but Nyauchi bowled him out and Mountaineers had scraped home by two runs.

Nyauchi finished with three for 19, while there were two wickets for Masara and four other bowlers took a wicket each.

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Southern Rocks – 165-3 in 19 overs (Roy Kaia 61*, Tafadzwa Tsiga 46*, Tadiwanashe Marumani 19; John Nyumbu 1/18, Steve Chimhamhiwa 1/20)

Tuskers – 137 all out in 18 overs (Bright Phiri 40, Luke Jongwe 24, Steve Chimhamhiwa 16; Sydney Murombo 4/16, Cuthbert Musoko 3/29, Nkosilathi Nungu 2/30)

Southern Rocks won by 28 runs

Roy Kaia and Tafadzwa Tsiga of Southern Rocks produced one of the best partnerships of the Domestic T20 Competition when they put on 108 runs for the fourth wicket in 10.3 overs without being separated against Tuskers at Harare Sports Club on Sunday.

The resultant total of 165 for three wickets was too great for Tuskers, who went down to defeat by 28 runs.

This match was also reduced to 19 overs per side due to rain.

Rocks, put in to bat, had mixed fortunes at the start of their innings.

Innocent Kaia hit the first two balls of the match, from Steve Chimhamhiwa, for four and six, before he took a single and saw his partner Cephas Zhuwao caught off the first delivery he faced.

Innocent Kaia did a good if brief job, out for 19 off only 10 balls, but when Tadiwanashe Marumani was caught off John Nyumbu for 29 in the ninth over the score was 57 for three.

There followed one of the best partnerships of the tournament, as Roy Kaia joined Tsiga and the two of them batted brilliantly to share an unbroken partnership of 108 in 11.3 overs.

Tsiga did well enough to score 46 off 42 balls, with a six and three fours, but Roy Kaia really excelled himself with a brilliant 61 – it came off only 34 balls, as he hit three sixes and three fours in great style.

After their 19 overs, Rocks had raised the impressive total of 165 for three wickets.

The pace bowlers suffered the most, with Chimhamhiwa, Luke Jongwe and Allan Chigoma all going for more than 10 runs an over, while the spinners were much more economical.

Milton Shumba’s three overs cost only 13 runs, while Nyumbu took one for 18 in his three.

Bright Phiri batted superbly when Tuskers replied, hitting up 40 off only 26 balls, including a six and six fours, before he was caught by Roy Kaia off Sydney Murombo.

He could not find a reliable partner, however, with Shumba out in the same way for 12, and Clive Madande was caught at the wicket first ball off Cuthbert Musoko.

Allan Chigoma then went for five, and Tuskers were 66 for five in the 10th over, with hope virtually gone.

The later batters gave it their best shot, with Jongwe hitting 24 off 18 balls and Chimhamhiwa 16 off 14.

But the task was too great for them, and after 18 overs they were all out for 137.

Murombo in three overs enjoyed the fine figures of four wickets for 16 runs, while Musoko had three for 29.

2021/22 DOMESTIC T20 COMPETITION POINTS TABLE

Alliance Health Eagles – 93 all out in 14.4 overs (Chamu Chibhabha 35, Aishah Chibanda 34, Tapiwa Mufudza 9; John Masara 3/22, Shingi Masakadza 2/16, Wellington Masakadza 2/22)

Mountaineers – 94-4 in 15 overs (PJ Moor 30, Tony Munyonga 28, Timycen Maruma 14; Richard Ngarava 2/22, Tapiwa Mufudza 1/16, Wessly Madhevere 1/26)

Mountaineers won by six wickets

Mountaineers handed Alliance Health Eagles a six-wicket defeat in their Domestic T20 Competition match played at Harare Sports Club on Thursday afternoon.

Eagles took the unusual step for them of batting first at this ground and soon wished they hadn’t.

With the fifth ball of the opening over, Wellington Masakadza had Wessly Madhevere caught for one, and wickets fell thick and fast after that.

Six of their first seven baters scored just 10 runs between them, the exception being Chamu Chibhabha, who hit boldly for 35 off 21 balls, with two sixes and four fours.

Failures continued down the order, and in the 10th over the eighth wicket went down with only 50 runs on the board.

At this point Aishah Chibanda, playing in his first official T20 match, decided his only option was in big hitting, and he launched a fierce attack on the bowling.

Off only 16 balls he hit up 34, including four sixes and a four, before being last out, caught off Tendai Chatara.

The total was 93, and the whole innings was over in only 14 overs and four balls.

All the bowlers picked up good figures, with three for 22 by John Masara being the best.

There were two cheap wickets each for Wellington Masakadza, Victor Nyauchi and Shingi Masakadza.

Mountaineers had a simple target to chase, so they could afford to take their time.

They lost Kevin Kasuza for nine, but PJ Moor hit up 30 off 26 balls, including five fours.

Richard Ngarava dismissed them both with catches at the wicket, but Timycen Maruma scored 14 and Tony Munyonga scored 28 not out to take Mountaineers home to a simple victory with five overs to spare.

Ngarava bowled well to finish with two wickets for 22 runs.

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Tuskers –158-3 in 20 overs (Milton Shumba 67*, Clive Madande 55, Bright Phiri 10; Ryan Burl 1/19, Chris Mpofu 1/23)

Rhinos – 161-4 in 17.3 overs (Ryan Burl 57*, Prince Masvaure 48, Tarisai Musakanda 26; Steve Chimhamhiwa 1/18, Sheunopa Musekwa 1/18, John Nyumbu 1/31)

Rhinos won by six wickets

A blazing fifty from Ryan Burl enabled Rhinos to beat Tuskers at full gallop by six wickets in their Domestic T20 Competition match at Old Hararians Sports Club on Thursday afternoon.

One six followed another, six of them off nine balls, and at the end of them Rhinos had won what had appeared likely to be a close match with 15 balls in hand.

Tuskers chose to bat first, but suffered a bad start, when they lost Karabo Motlhanka for four and Bright Phiri for 14 with the score 19 after three overs.

Then followed a superb partnership of 114 for the third wicket between Milton Shumba and Clive Madande that turned the innings around.

Both scored at a rate of well over a run a ball, and they were only separated with the score on 133, when Madande was run out for 55, scored off 48 balls with a six and three fours.

Shumba had more of a liking for sixes, and when the innings closed at 158 for three he was still there on 67, with four sixes and one four.

Luke Jongwe was his partner at the end, with 10 not out off six balls, including one six.

Only two wickets fell to bowlers, those being Burl and Chris Mpofu.

Rhinos had a difficult target to chase down, but Takudzwanashe Kaitano and Prince Masvaure gave them a brisk start with 25 in less than three overs, before Kaitano was bowled by Steve Chimhamhiwa for 18.

Nyasha Mayavo went for only four, but Tarisai Musakanda scored 26 off 16 balls to keep Rhinos in the hunt.

Masvaure kept the score ticking over rapidly, but much depended on Burl, who can hit brilliantly at times, but needs a steady start.

With five overs left, 51 runs were still needed with seven wickets in hand, and the match appeared to be well balanced.

Masvaure hit a six off John Nyumbu, but three balls later was caught off him for 48; 117 for four.

Burl now felt ready to open the floodgates, and he laid into the spin of Ainsley Ndlovu, smashing him for four sixes (with a two) in five balls – 27 runs came off the over and suddenly Rhinos were within touching distance of victory at 148 for four after 17 overs.

The pace of Jongwe came no differently to Burl, who finished the match in the next over with two successive sixes to take his score to 57 off 32 balls.

The last nine balls of the match had produced 40 runs, and Rhinos finished in triumph with 161 on the board for four wickets, and still had 15 balls in hand.

Four Tuskers bowlers took a wicket each, with one for 31 off his four overs from Nyumbu being the most economical.