Madhevere stars with seven-for but Mountaineers still in driver’s seat
Alliance Health Eagles – 181 and 66-3 in 21 overs (Tinashe Kamunhukamwe 32, Shoun Handirisi 11, Wessly Madhevere 8; Tinashe Muchawaya 1/3, Victor Nyauchi 1/26)
Mountaineers – 328 all out in 99.1 overs (Ben Compton 102, Clive Chitumba 54*, Tinashe Muchawaya 50; Wessly Madhevere 7/105, Daniel Jakiel 1/48, Tapiwa Mufudza 1/132)
Day 2 – Stumps: Alliance Health Eagles trail by 81 runs
A fine seven-wicket haul by Wessly Madhevere, bowling his off-breaks with success, could not prevent Mountaineers from building a big first-innings lead over Alliance Health Eagles in their Logan Cup match at Old Hararians Sports Club on Monday.
Mountaineers began the day on 71 for one wicket in reply to 181 by Eagles, of which Ben Compton had made a laborious 23 and Kudzai Sauramba 11.
Sauramba was quickly caught off Madhevere for 14, and then came a series of useful but limited innings, with Compton holding the act together.
Compton and Tony Munyonga (28) put on 76 together for the third wicket, and then Joylord Gumbie slammed a quick 19 off 14 balls.
Donald Tiripano was out for 11, by which time the score was 189 for five, with Madhevere having taken all four wickets to fall at that stage on day two.
Compton showed much more enterprise with his batting in the morning, and he went on to record his second first-class century, 102, facing 194 balls before he was lbw to Madhevere, who thus took five wickets in succession.
Clive Chitumba now took over as the leading batter, but he was in danger of running out of partners, as Madhevere took two more quickly, and there was one wicket to Tapiwa Mufudza, who wheeled away tirelessly at the other end with little luck.
Nine wickets were down for 248, but there was an unexpected kick in the tail as the last man, Tinashe Muchawaya, came in and launched an impressive attack on the now tiring spinners.
The last wicket put on no fewer than 80 runs together in less than 17 overs, with Chitumba reaching his fifty just ahead of the aggressive Muchawaya, who got to the landmark and was then immediately dismissed by Madhevere – who this time ran him out, having been unable to bowl him out.
Muchawaya was out for 50 off 52 balls, while Chitumba finished unbeaten with 54, scored off 98 balls.
The total was 328, a lead of 147 on the first innings.
Madhevere finished with his best figures of seven for 105 off 30 overs, while his unfortunate spin partner Mufudza laboured for 42.1 overs to take just one wicket for 132.
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Tuskers – 347 all out in 87.2 overs (Clive Madande 93, Brian Chari 54, Taffy Mupariwa 52; Carl Mumba 5/72, Tafara Chingwara 3/49, Michael Chinouya 1/39)
Rhinos – 217-7 in 90 overs (Charles Kunje 88, Prince Masvaure 52, Nyasha Mayavo 25; John Nyumbu 3/57, Ainsley Ndlovu 2/52, Ernest Masuku 1/28)
Day 2 – Stumps: Rhinos trail by 130 runs
Dogged batting by Prince Masvaure and Charles Kunje, who both scored fifties, gave Rhinos quite a good start in their first innings against Tuskers at Harare Sports Club on Monday.
But the later batters did not have much success, and they finished the day 130 runs behind with only three wickets in hand.
Overnight, Tuskers had finished their first innings for a score of 347, so Rhinos began their reply first thing this morning.
They soon lost Takudzwanashe Kaitano, who was caught at slip by John Nyumbu off Ernest Masuku for two.
Then for a while Rhinos flourished, as Masvaure and Kunje spent a while playing themselves in and then began to build a good partnership.
Masvaure reached his fifty, and was then caught by Craig Ervine off Luke Jongwe for 52, scored off 112 balls, and with the score 88 for two wickets.
The batting continued at a rather slow pace, as Ryan Burl made 16 without getting into form, and then he and Remembrance Nyathi were out to successive deliveries from Nyumbu; 125 for four.
Johnathan Campbell was livelier in scoring 13, while Nyasha Mayavo made 25 as Kunje moved his way steadily towards a century.
He was not to get there, though, as Luke Jongwe caught him off Ainsley Ndlovu for 88, to make the score 202 for seven.
Some dogged batting by Carl Mumba and Brandon Mavuta saw out the day – they finished with 12 and three respectively, but they will have to do very well on day three if Rhinos are not to be left with a substantial deficit.
