Eagles keep Rocks on tight leash, Mountaineers fight to stay on terms
Southern Rocks – 114 and 92-4 in 48.4 overs (Roy Kaia 36, Ben Curran 26, Richmond Mutumbami 10*; Munashe Chipara 3/10, Tapiwa Mufudza 1/14)
Eagles – 228 all out in 60 overs (Larvet Masunda 76, Tadiwanashe Marumani 73, Tinashe Kamunhukamwe 21; Sydney Murombo 3/36, William Mashinge 3/49, Cuthbert Musoko 2/35)
Day 2 – Stumps: Southern Rocks trail by 22 runs
Some fine pace bowling by Cuthbert Musoko and Sydney Murombo for Southern Rocks cut back the Eagles first innings at Old Hararians Sports Club on Saturday to keep them from running away with this Logan Cup match.
Overnight Eagles were on 198 for four wickets, with Wessly Madhevere on 12 and Tinashe Nenhunzi 11, in reply to the Rocks first-innings score of 114 and looked set for a major score.
However, Murombo removed Nenhunzi without addition, Madhevere went for 18 and the later batters came and went until Eagles were dismissed for 228, exactly double the Rocks score.
Murombo and William Mashinge took three wickets each, while Musoko had two.
Rocks now had the chance to fight back with the bat, but they made a poor start, losing their opening pair for 20 on the board to Munashe Chipara.
Ben Curran (26) and Roy Kaia (36) fought back well, but both were out before rain stopped play early.
Rocks finished the day still 22 runs behind with six wickets in hand.
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Tuskers – 294 all out in 74.5 overs (Clive Madande 121*, Nkosana Mpofu 45, Awad Naqvi 35; Definate Mawadzi 2/2, Mashford Shungu 2/38, Vincent Masekesa 2/59)
Mega Market Mountaineers – 208-6 in 60 overs (Brian Bennett 56, Tony Munyonga 43, Kevin Kasuza 38; Hamidullah Qadri 2/45, Ernest Masuku 2/52, Ainsley Ndlovu 1/31)
Day 2 – Stumps: Mega Market Mountaineers trail by 86 runs
Brian Bennett scored a maiden first-class fifty against Tuskers at Harare Sports Club on Saturday as Mega Market Mountaineers fought to stay on terms with their opponents.
Play began with Tuskers on 288 for eight wickets, with Clive Madande on 115, but his last two partners flitted in and out to Definate Mawadzi without scoring, leaving him stranded on 121.
He faced 149 deliveries in his fine innings, with a six and 16 fours.
No bowler took more than two wickets, but Mawadzi, who came on for the first time in the morning, enjoyed the figures of two for two off 11 balls.
Mountaineers made a useful start to their innings, with Kevin Kasuza (38) and Baxon Gopito (24) putting on 49 in 11 overs for the first wicket.
Three were out for 80, but there followed a vital partnership of 90 runs between Tony Munyonga and Bennett for the fourth wicket.
Before the rain arrived, these two and Clive Chitumba were out in quick succession, making the score a less comfortable 184 for six.
This was a situation for Shingi Masakadza, and he was just settling in, having hit Hamidullah Qadri for two sixes in three balls when play was stopped.
At the close Mountaineers were on 208 for six, with Spencer Magodo on 13 and Masakadza on 14.
