Ervine ton buoys Tuskers against Eagles, as Rocks respond strongly to Chatara’s maiden fifty
Alliance Health Eagles – 329 all out in 92.2 overs (Tino Mutombodzi 122, Wessly Madhevere 73, Takudzwa Takodza 47; Ernest Masuku 5/62, Luke Jongwe 2/60, Nkosana Mpofu 1/12)
Tuskers – 229-4 in 84 overs (Craig Ervine 121*, Nkosana Mpofu 46, Taffy Mupariwa 26*; Wessly Madhevere 2/43, Tapiwa Mufudza 1/28, Tanaka Chivanga 1/65)
Day 2 – Stumps: Tuskers trail by 100 runs
A century from Craig Ervine enabled Tuskers to make steady progress towards the Alliance Health Eagles first-innings score of 329 on the second day of their Logan Cup match at Old Hararians Sports Club on Thursday.
Eagles batted throughout the first day yesterday to score 287 for six wickets.
They suffered a bad start, losing Kudzai Maunze without scoring and Tinashe Kamunhukamwe for four, but then Chamu Chibhabha (26) and Wessly Madhevere stabilised the innings to 69 for three.
Then came the partnership of the day, as Tino Mutombodzi joined Madhevere and the pair added 116 for the fourth wicket before Madhevere was caught at the wicket off Ernest Masuku for 73, scored off 105 balls with 10 fours.
Takudzwa Takodza played a quiet role as he supported the aggressive Mutombodzi, who recorded the fifth first-class century of his career, 122 off only 157 balls, with two sixes and 18 fours.
He left with the score on 255 for five wickets, after which Tinashe Nenhunzi came in and scored 13 to be out just before the close.
So Eagles began the second day on 287 for six wickets, with Takodza on 39 and Keith Jaure yet to score.
Takodza was soon bowled for 47 by Masuku, who quickly had Tapiwa Mufudza (0) lbw and Tanaka Chivanga (4) caught, while Luke Jongwe removed Richard Ngarava without scoring.
Eagles were thus dismissed for 329, the last four wickets falling for only nine runs.
Masuku’s final burst gave him the figures of five wickets for 62 runs, the next best being Jongwe with two wickets.
Nkosana Mpofu and Tanunurwa Makoni opened the Tuskers batting against the bowling of Ngarava and Chivanga, but the latter removed Makoni, caught by Mutombodzi off the first ball he faced.
Ervine came in and began very fluently, hitting Chivanga for three fours.
The pair continued to look for runs positively and at lunch had taken the score to 63 for one wicket, with Mpofu on 27 and Ervine 24.
The pair put on 130 together for the second wicket, with Ervine the dominant partner, although he did have most of the bowling.
Mpofu reached 46 before he was caught off Mufudza, and then in the following over Brian Chari was out lbw to Madhevere without scoring; 131 for two.
Milton Shumba came in and played quietly until tea, when the score was 158 for three, with Shumba on 13 and Ervine 82.
It was not to be Shumba’s day, as when he had made 16 he was caught by Mutombodzi off Madhevere; 163 for four.
Ervine moved on to reach his 12th first-class century soon afterwards, scored off 105 balls, with Taffy Mupariwa now his partner.
After this, however, instead of putting the attack to the sword he became rather becalmed, and Mupariwa also played slowly, so the final session actually brought the team only 71 runs without the loss of a wicket.
At the close Tuskers were 229 for four wickets, with Ervine on 121 and Mupariwa 26, exactly 100 runs in arrears with six wickets in hand.
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Mountaineers – 258 all out in 81.2 overs (Tendai Chatara 68, Wellington Masakadza 64, Peter Moor 38; Tendai Chisoro 4/65, Blessing Muzarabani 3/37, William Mashinge 2/60)
Southern Rocks – 239-3 in 81 overs (Sikandar Raza 83*, Roy Kaia 64*, Innocent Kaia 36; Vincent Masekesa 3/81)
Day 2 – Stumps: Southern Rocks trail by 19 runs
A fine century partnership for the fourth wicket between Roy Kaia and Sikandar Raza took Southern Rocks into an advantageous position on Thursday in their Logan Cup match against Mountaineers at Takashinga Sports Club.
Rocks put Mountaineers in to bat when they won the toss yesterday, and must have had mixed feelings about this decision at various times during the day.
Mountaineers did well to reach 82 for one wicket at one stage, with Kevin Kasuza contributing a dogged 22 off 94 balls and PJ Moor a much more aggressive 38 off 57.
Then both were out in quick succession, and the wheels fell off, as six wickets went down for only 13 runs, three of them to Tendai Chisoro.
Timycen Maruma was lbw for nine, and then Tony Munyonga, Joylord Gumbie and Donald Tiripano were all shot out in quick succession without a run between them.
When Victor Nyauchi went for 15, the score was 121 for eight, but then came the surprise of the day, as Tendai Chatara joined the reliable Wellington Masakadza and chose this occasion to record the first fifty of his first-class career.
He hit the bowling freely and powerfully, and at the close of play the pair were still together with the score now 232 for eight wickets, Masakadza having 48 and Chatara an almost unbelievable 68.
On the second morning it could be said the situation returned to normal, as Chatara was out immediately, lbw to Blessing Muzarabani.
The partnership had put on 111 runs, and in his 68 Chatara had faced 76 balls and hit a six and 10 fours.
The last man, Vincent Masekesa, made six before he was bowled by Chisoro, and the innings was over for 258, leaving Masakadza not out for an excellent 64 – he faced 144 balls and hit six fours.
Chisoro was the most successful bowler with four wickets for 65, while Muzarabani had three for 37.
Rocks opened their response with Innocent Kaia and Brian Mudzinganyama to the bowling of Donald Tiripano and Nyauchi.
They batted with great caution and in 16 overs before lunch scored 25 without loss, with Innocent Kaia on 11 and Mudzinganyama 12.
Mudzinganyama was particularly slow, and when he was eventually out, with the total on 57, lbw to Masekesa, he had scored 24 off 110 balls.
Tadiwanashe Marumani hit out boldly, with a six and two fours, but his was a short and merry innings, as he was caught by Chatara off Masekesa for 16 off 11 balls; 91 for three.
Innocent Kaia (36) was third out at 91, another lbw victim for Masekesa.
At tea the score was 111 for three, with Roy Kaia on 17 and Raza 12, and Rocks needed somebody to stand up and make a big score.
Both these batsmen have proved willing to oblige, as after tea they piled on the runs, both reaching their fifties without losing a wicket in the final session.
Raza was the more aggressive, as he hit boldly and Roy Kaia gave him fine support – they finished the day not out with 83 and 64 respectively.
