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Midlands Rhinos – 286 for 9 in 73.3 overs (Graeme Cremer 109*, Tendai Maruma 64; Njabulo Ncube 3/61, Brian Vitori 3/66)
Bulawayo Metropolitan Tuskers
Stumps – Day 1
Midlands Rhinos captain Graeme Cremer today scored a magnificent century that inspired his side to a stunning recovery against Bulawayo Metropolitan Tuskers after the visitors had lost their first five wickets for 49 runs within 10 overs on day one of this Logan Cup match at Queens Sports Club.
The hosts initially appeared to have taken the four-day match by the scruff of its neck when the opening bowling pair of Brian Vitori and Njabulo Ncube ripped through the Rhinos batting line-up.
Stand-in captain Brian Chari won the toss and opted to field, and just two overs into the season opener Tuskers were already celebrating the big wicket of Prince Masvaure, who departed for a single after he was caught by the skipper off a Ncube delivery; 12 for one.
In the next over, the promising Tarisai Musakanda was dismissed for a golden duck when he was trapped lbw by Vitori, leaving Rhinos on 19 for two.
Peter Moor came in at number four but could only manage a run-a-ball 15 before Vitori struck again, getting the batsman’s furniture re-arranged two balls into the seventh over; 41 for three.
Only two more runs had been added to the team total when Bothwell Chapungu was caught by Luke Jongwe off a Ncube delivery, bringing to an end the opening batsman’s 43-minute stay on the crease which yielded 17 runs, including three boundaries, from the 25 balls he faced.
Ncube then picked his third wicket of the day when he trapped Remembrance Nyathi lbw, sending him back to the pavilion without scoring off the eight balls he faced – Rhinos were in big trouble now, 49 for two after 9.1 overs.
At that stage, Tuskers were fancying their chances of bundling out the visitors for a miserable total, but then Cremer had other ideas.
Just over a month after notching up his maiden Test century in Zimbabwe’s first match against Sri Lanka, the 30-year-old leg-spinner came on to prove his batting heroics were not a fluke.
In tandem with Tendai Maruma, the duo struck a 127-run partnership for the sixth wicket that effectively rescued Rhinos’ innings and turned the tables on the home side.
The fighting stand was broken in the in the 45th over when Vitori dismissed Maruma for a dogged 64, a knock that came off 129 balls and included seven boundaries and the only maximum of the match so far.
Cremer was then joined by Neville Madziva who however did not last long, contributing seven runs from the 15 balls he faced before Sean Williams had him caught by Jongwe; 200 for seven after 50.5 overs.
Tendai Chisoro and Cremer then enjoyed a 53-run stand before the former became the eighth Rhinos wicket to fall on the day after he had chipped in with a vital 36.
The visitors were reduced to 283 for nine after Carl Mumba was run out having made seven, bringing in Michael Chinouya to join the captain.
Just after the third ball of the 74th over was bowled, the umpires Owen Chirombe and Christopher Phiri decided to bring play to an end due to bad light.
Cremer ended day one on 109 not out, having faced 178 balls, out of which 13 were converted into boundaries.
Chinouya had an unbeaten single at the close of play.
That Rhinos had a respectable 286 for nine on the board at stumps, after enduring such a calamitous start, was thanks to the skipper’s magnificent ton.
Ncube and Vitori finished the day with three wickets apiece, while Williams and Jongwe picked once each.
Meanwhile, there was no play at all in the other Logan Cup match pitting Manicaland Mountaineers against Harare Metropolitan Eagles due to a wet outfield and intermittent rains at the venue, Mutare Sports Club.
Match report by Zimbabwe Cricket
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