Thriller on the cards as Rhinos face Eagles in Domestic T20 final

Rhinos – 207-5 in 20 overs (Nyasha Mayavo 64, Ryan Burl 36*, Johnathan Campbell 31; Marshal Takodza 2/28, Kudakwashe Macheka 2/35, Brighton Chipungu 1/19)

Lions – 140-9 in 20 overs (Alistair Frost 61, Bright Phiri 22, Christopher Masike 19; Davis Murwendo 3/20, Neville Madziva 2/12, Prince Masvaure 2/24) 

 

Rhinos won by 67 runs

Rhinos thrashed Lions by 67 runs at Harare Sports Club on Saturday to secure their place in the Domestic T20 Competition final after topping the round-robin standings.

 

They will face the second-placed Eagles in Sunday’s championship decider at the same venue, scheduled to start at 1.30 pm.

 

Wicket-keeper Nyasha Mayavo was the leading figure in a good team performance that led to their victory over Lions.

He came to the wicket when Rhinos, put in to bat, had lost their first two wickets for 20 runs to Marshal Takodza, and proceeded to hit up 64 off 37 balls, which included 10 fours.

Mayavo shared a third-wicket partnership of 82 runs with Prince Masvaure, who played a secondary role very well and made 27 off 23 balls.

Johnathan Campbell (31 off 20 balls) and Ryan Burl (36 not out off 23) hit well towards the end as Rhinos passed the 200 mark, reaching 207 for five after their 20 overs.

Takodza took two for 35 off his four overs, but like all the bowlers was expensive.

Lions were under great pressure to score quickly, made harder when they lost their openers with only three runs on the board.

Bright Phiri (22 off 15 balls) and Alistair Frost (61 off 43) added 54 for the fourth wicket in less than six overs, but after that there was not enough batting to come, and after their 20 overs they had lost nine wickets for 140 runs.

They did manage to survive the menace of Brandon Mavuta, who took only one wicket for 30.

Davis Murwendo was the most successful bowler with three for 20, while Neville Madziva was the most economical with two for 12 in three overs.

Their fourth victory in five matches gave Rhinos top place on the points table and a place in Sunday’s final.

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Southern Rocks – 173-8 in 20 overs (Ben Curran 58, Cephas Zhuwao 57, Richmond Mutumbami 12*; Tanaka Chivanga 5/26, Matt Parkinson 1/16, Wessly Madhevere 1/29)

Eagles – 174-3 in 15.4 overs (Wessly Madhevere 63, Kudzai Maunze 50, Tadiwanashe Marumani 29*; Roy Kaia 1/22, Cephas Zhuwao 1/30)

 

Eagles won by seven wickets

A devastating bowling spell by Tanaka Chivanga, followed by brilliant fifties from Wessly Madhevere and Kudzai Maunze, brought Eagles a surprisingly easy victory over Southern Rocks by seven wickets with 4.2 overs to spare at Old Hararians Sports Club on Saturday.

This result was particularly surprising because Rocks, put in to bat, made an excellent start to their innings, with Cephas Zhuwao scoring his fourth successive fifty in the tournament as he was dismissed at the end of the ninth over for 57 off 37 balls, with three sixes and six fours.

With Ben Curran almost matching him stroke for stroke, Rocks then had 88 runs on the board and were well set for another 200-plus total.

This still looked likely at 145 for two wickets after 15 overs, but at this point Chivanga began his work of destruction.

He first had the Nick Gubbins caught for eight, Curran fell to Richard Ngarava for 58 off only 43 balls, and Gary Ballance went to Chivanga for four.

At this point the tail simply crashed before Chivanga, who took two wickets in both of his next two overs – 145 for three became 173 for nine, and the only batter to withstand him was Richmond Mutumbami, who was left unbeaten with 12.

Chivanga’s figures were five wickets for 26 runs, the only Eagles bowler to make an impression.

Eagles suffered the loss of Nick Welch, run out by Curran off the second ball of the innings without a run on the board, but after that it was their match all the way.

Maunze was in his most brilliant form as he raced to 50 before he was stumped, having faced only 26 balls and hit a six and eight fours.

Madhevere was in similarly excellent form, and he went on to make 63 off 36 balls, even more spectacularly, with four sixes and six fours.

He went at 130 for three, but then Chamu Chibhabha and Tadiwanashe Marumani continued the onslaught on the hapless bowlers, both finishing with 29 not out when victory was achieved, off 19 and 11 balls respectively.

 

Marumani’s 29 included four sixes.

Only one bowler managed to command any respect, and that was Roy Kaia, who dismissed Maunze and conceded only 22 runs off his four overs.

Eagles will thus play the final of this tournament against Rhinos at Harare Sports Club on Sunday after finishing the round-robin stage with 12 points as did Rocks, but with a better net run rate.

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Tuskers – 140-6 in 20 overs (Tanu Makoni 57, Luke Jongwe 32, Alvin Chiradza 18; Mashford Shungu 3/23, Tinashe Muchawaya 1/18, Donald Tiripano 1/23)

Mega Market Mountaineers – 101 all out in 16.2 overs (Tinashe Muchawaya 45*, Tony Munyonga 14, Victor Nyauchi 13; Ernest Masuku 3/20, Chris Mpofu 2/12, Mgcini Dube 2/21)

 

Tuskers won by 39 runs

A solid maiden T20 fifty from Tanu Makoni proved to be the vital factor as Tuskers claimed a 39-run victory over Mega Market Mountaineers in a comparatively low-scoring match at Harare Sports Club on Saturday afternoon.

Tuskers, put in to bat, struggled for runs from the start.

They owed almost everything to their opening batter, Makoni, who scored most of the early runs and took most of the bowling, losing Simba Haukozi for two and Clive Madande for six out of a score of 42 for two.

Alvin Chiradza with 18 and Luke Jongwe 32 supported him well, but Tuskers were rarely able to score at much better than a run a ball.

Makoni was finally out for 57 off 54 balls, with nine fours, having held the side together, but without really being able to dominate the bowling.

Jongwe hit out towards the end, but the final score of 140 for six wickets did not appear to be very good, considering some of the much bigger scores achieved during this tournament.

Mashford Shungu was the most successful of the bowlers, with three wickets for 23.

However, Mountaineers made such a disastrous start that Tuskers quickly found themselves well on top.

A wicket fell in each of the first five overs in the Mountaineers innings – Spencer Magodo zero, Timycen Maruma one, Brian Bennett five, Kevin Kasuza six and Tony Munyonga 14 – and the score was 28 for five.

To add to Mountaineers’ woes, PJ Moor suffered a finger injury in the field and was unable to bat.

Two overs later Donald Tiripano went for six – 40 for six – but then Tinashe Muchawaya played a heroic innings to save his team from disgrace, if not defeat.

He put on 41 for the seventh wicket with Victor Nyauchi (13) and took the score past 100 with eight wickets down.

The last wicket fell at 101, the solitary bright light being Muchawaya’s innings that remained unbeaten at 45, scored off 37 balls.

The first three bowlers used shared the honours, with three wickets to Ernest Masuku and two each to Chris Mpofu and Mgcini Dube.

This result puts Mountaineers out of the tournament, leaving Tuskers to meet Rocks in the third-place play-off at Harare Sports Club on Sunday, starting at 9.30 am.

 

2022/23 DOMESTIC T20 COMPETITION POINTS TABLE