Chingwara’s five-wicket haul pegs Mountaineers back
Rhinos – 280 and 163-3 in 36 overs (Eddie Byrom 61, Tarisai Musakanda 37, Takudzwanashe Kaitano 30; Wellington Masakadza 3/21)
Mega Market Mountaineers – 271 all out in 70.1 overs (Tony Munyonga 66, PJ Moor 56, Spencer Magodo 48; Tafara Chingwara 5/78, Brandon Mavuta 3/85, Trevor Gwandu 2/39)
Day 2 – Stumps: Rhinos lead by 172 runs
A brilliant five-wicket haul by pace bowler Tafara Chingwara on Friday enabled Rhinos to take a narrow first-innings lead over Mega Market Mountaineers, who had started day two of this Logan Cup match at Harare Sports Club on their overnight score of 58 for two wickets.
The batters, Spencer Magodo and Tony Munyonga, took the tally to 92 before Magodo became Chingwara’s first victim of the day, caught by Tarisai Musakanda.
There followed a good partnership between Munyonga and PJ Moor, who added 85 runs before the more aggressive Moor, making 56 off 72 balls with three sixes and five fours, was fourth out at 177, caught off Brandon Mavuta.
Munyonga also scored a fifty, but much more steadily, being eventually out, also to Mavuta, at 216 for six for the highest score of 66, off 141 balls.
Donald Tiripano scored 17, while both Shingi Masakadza (26 off 28 balls) and Tinashe Muchawaya (29 off only 17) played the hitting game, but Mountaineers, all out for 271, fell just nine runs behind on the first innings.
Chingwara had been picking up wickets throughout the innings and finished with five for 78, while Mavuta had three for 85 and Trevor Gwandu two for 39.
Rhinos approached their second innings with determination, and Takudzwanashe Kaitano and Eddie Byrom quickly ran up 86 for the first wicket before Kaitano was stumped by Moor off Wellington Masakadza for 30.
Byrom, hitting the ball freely and well, went on to score 61 before Masakadza had him lbw at 125 for two.
Musakanda also fell before the close, also to Masakadza, for 37, and, with Kiran Carlson (14) and Ryan Burl (8) at the crease, both not out, the total was 163 for three and Rhinos will continue their innings on day three in a strong position.
Masakadza has been much the best of the bowlers so far, having now bowled 10 overs and taken three wickets for 21.
******************************
Eagles – 517 all out in 109 overs (Craig Ervine 153, Chamu Chibhabha 149, Kudzai Maunze 73; Keith Jaure 3/71, William Mashinge 2/86, Priviledge Chesa 2/124)
Southern Rocks – 118-5 in 52 overs (Richmond Mutumbami 35, William Mashinge 29*, Cephas Zhuwao 17; Wessly Madhevere 2/25, Faraz Akram 2/26, Brad Evans 1/27)
Day 2 – Stumps: Southern Rocks trail by 399 runs
In the other Logan Cup match at Old Hararians Sports Club, the overnight partnership between day one’s two century-makers, Craig Ervine and Chamu Chibhabha, eventually realised 211 runs on Friday and placed Eagles in a very powerful position against Southern Rocks.
They had closed the opening day on 346 for two, with the batters on 143 and 113 respectively.
Ervine stayed long enough to pass the 150 mark before he was out lbw to Priviledge Chesa for 153, to make the score 368 for three wickets.
He faced 172 balls and hit a six and 21 fours.
Chibhabha passed his previous highest first-class score of 127 and proceeded to 149 before he too was out lbw, to Takudzwa Chataira, for 149, which came off 177 balls and included 19 fours and a six.
The score then was exactly 400 when the fourth wicket went down, and after that the policy was to score runs quickly so they could put Rocks in to bat.
Nick Welch was soon out for 11, and the only batter who really prospered was Wessly Madhevere, who scored a fine 58 not out off 68 balls, with eight fours.
His main partner was Faraz Akram, who scored a useful 24 of a stand worth 48 runs before he was run out.
The innings closed for a good total of 517, with Madhevere still unbeaten.
Keith Jaure was probably the only bowler who wanted to check his figures, taking three wickets for 71 runs, while there were two expensive wickets each to William Mashinge and Chesa.
Brian Mudzinganyama opened the Rocks batting with Cephas Zhuwao, who followed his usual destructive policy, hitting a six and two fours in scoring 17 off 15 balls before being the first to go, caught by Brad Evans off Akram at 22.
Mudzinganyama (4) and Ben Curran (1) immediately followed, and Rocks were reeling at 23 for three.
The captain, Roy Kaia, played a very dogged innings of 16, taking 75 balls as he tried to stabilise the innings in company with the more aggressive Richmond Mutumbami, who scored 35.
Both were out before the close, though, when the batters at the crease were Tafadzwa Tsiga and Mashinge.
Mashinge was not out with 29, but Tsiga played scarcely a stroke during his stonewall innings which has so far brought him only four runs off 80 balls.
