Pro50 Championship: Ervine’s unbeaten 168 in vain as Eagles floor Tuskers to reach final

Tuskers – 283-5 in 50 overs (Craig Ervine 168*, Brian Chari 65, Sean Williams 24; Trevor Garwe 2/41, Luke Jongwe 2/77, Tino Mutombodzi 1/5)

Eagles – 284-6 in 49.1 overs (Richmond Mutumbami 99, Tinashe Kamunhukamwe 65, Regis Chakabva 54; Sean Williams 2/47, Chris Mpofu 2/55, John Nyumbu 2/61)

Eagles won by four wickets

Harare Sports Club was on Friday the scene of a brilliant innings of 168 not out by the national team batsman Craig Ervine for Tuskers — but they still lost to Eagles by four wickets in a top-of-the-table Pro50 Championship clash.

After such a magnificent performance it would clearly take a fine team effort from Eagles to win the match, and that is what happened.

Three fifties were scored for them: opener Tinashe Kamunhukamwe made 65, Regis Chakabva his third successive score of 50 or more with 54, and a heroic 99 from Richmond Mutumbami.

Eagles rested several of their top players for this match, notably Cephas Zhuwao, Elton Chigumbura and Chamu Chibhabha, and perhaps rather regretted it at times during this match.

On a warm sunny morning, but with a cooling breeze, Eagles as seems to be traditional won the toss and put their opponents in to bat, on a pitch that looked well suited for batting.

Kuda Munyede, the left-arm spinner, making a rare appearance for Eagles, was given the first over of the match, against the batsmen Brian Chari and Cunningham Ncube, while another occasional player, the left-arm seamer Keith Jaure, bowled at the other end.

After settling in for a couple of overs, the batsmen decided on attack, and in Munyede’s second over Chari hammered a four that just cleared mid-on and next ball a six over cover.

Trevor Garwe replaced Munyede, and struck with his first ball, trapping Ncube lbw for one as he tried to turn a straight ball down the leg side; 20 for one in the fifth over.

Chari quietened down against the seamers, but Ervine soon showed himself to be in fine form, playing four handsome drives for four off Garwe.

When he swung a ball from Jaure to square leg for six and reached 23, he overtook Chari, who had become stuck with about 20.

Every so often Ervine plays an innings of outstanding timing, combining power and effect perfectly, and this was one of those occasions.

Garwe, a fine bowler, fought back and pushed him onto the defensive, but when he faced Garwe again he flicked him over midwicket for another six.

Garwe was unfortunate to miss a chance from Chari when the latter had 27 – he popped a ball firmly back, which hit him in the chest and bounced out.

In the 21st over Ervine reached his 50, off 57 balls, while Chari was on 34, and the score 91 for one wicket.

The hundred came up in the following over, and Ervine pulled Munyede for another six, while Chari drove Tony Munyonga for a straight six to bring up his fifty off 68 balls.

Ervine, not quite as fluent now, enjoyed a life on 69 as he drove a ball from Munyonga uppishly towards long-on, who dived forward but could not hold a low chance.

Soon afterwards, however, Chari was not so fortunate, as he swung a ball from Tino Mutombodzi to deep midwicket and was well caught low down by the debutant, Brian Mudzinganyama, for 65.

He faced 91 balls, hit six fours and two sixes, and the score was 146 for two off 30 overs.

Sean Williams was soon working the ball around the field skilfully, and he swung an off-break from Mudzinganyama over midwicket for six.

On 24, though, he didn’t get hold of a drive off Jongwe and hit a straight-forward catch into the covers; 188 for two in the 39th over.

By now Ervine was on 92, and before Charles Kunje had got off the mark he reached a fine century off 103 balls.

He celebrated with two successive sixes, drives over long-on and straight, off the long-suffering Munyede.

He continued to hit brilliantly as the innings neared its end, adding 57 with Kunje, who contributed only 11 before being caught on the midwicket boundary off Luke Jongwe; 245 for four in the 47th over.

Tendai Maruma had no chance to play himself in and lobbed a catch into the covers without scoring, off Garwe, to be replaced with Taffy Mupariwa.

In the final over, bowled by Jongwe, Ervine hit another big six over midwicket to bring up his 150 off 127 balls, meaning that his last fifty had taken only 24 balls.

He followed it with two fours and another six, 23 runs coming off the over to take the innings total to 283 for five wickets.

Of these Ervine scored 168 off 131 balls, with 13 fours and eight sixes; Mupariwa finished with five not out.

Despite his early boundaries from Ervine, Garwe was the best of the bowlers, and he had the best figures of two for 41 off his 10 overs, while Jongwe had two for 77.

The other wicket was taken by Mutombodzi, whose two overs conceded only five runs for the wicket of Chari, and he could well have risked himself more.

They missed the consistent bowling of Chibhabha, rested for this match.

Off the first ball of the Eagles’ reply, Kamunhukamwe forced a ball from Chris Mpofu past backward point for three runs, a confident start.

The debutant Mudzinganyama got off the mark with a handsome straight drive for four off Charlton Tshuma.

The batsmen played the seamers confidently, so Williams came in with his left-arm spin, only for Kamunhukamwe to hit a big six on to the top of the changing rooms, and then followed a four that was smashed through extra cover.

The fifty came up in the eighth over, and Eagles were well on course for victory.

There was some sloppy fielding at times from Tuskers, misfields and overthrows, which did not help their cause.

Tuskers were beginning to look and sound desperate when, with the total at 79 in the 15th over, Mudzinganyama hit a return catch to John Nyumbu and departed for a promising innings of 28.

Soon afterwards Kamunhukamwe reached his fifty in fine style, off only 47 balls, when he pulled a short ball from Ainsley Ndlovu over midwicket for six.

Kudzai Maunze scored seven before, backing away to slash a ball from Williams through the off side, he found the ball coming through faster than he thought and was bowled; 105 for two.

Kamunhukamwe did not long survive him; with 65 off 61 balls, he tried to swing a ball from Nyumbu over the square-leg boundary, only to be well caught by the fielder there.

At 109 for three in 21 overs and two new batsmen in, the game seemed wide open again — except that the in-form Chakabva was still to come.

He came in to bat when Mutombodzi (5) hit an overhead catch to mid-on off Williams; 128 for four.

He was not overconfident after his big scores, so he played himself in with care, and then saw that Mutumbami was in such fine form that he himself could cruise along and played a supporting role.

Mutumbami was now attacking in fine style, and reached his fifty off 54 balls, before the 200 came up in the 37th over.

The runs kept coming, and the required run rate steadily began to drop from 6.5 after 40 overs.

Chakabva reached 39 off 50 balls with just one boundary and many skilfully taken ones and twos in support of Mutumbami.

Then he pulled a short ball from Mpofu over the square-leg boundary for six as victory now became increasingly certain.

Increasing his pace now, he reached 50 off 57 balls, but would he see Mutumbami, with 12 needed and 17 for victory, to his century?

Instead he got out, playing a peculiar checked shot against Mpofu that lobbed a catch to the keeper; 54 off 62 balls, with just the one four and six.

Nine runs were now required to win in three overs as Munyonga joined Mutumbami on 94.

With two twos and a single off Tshuma, helped by Munyonga, he reached 99, and then, with a mixture of bouncers and good balls, Mpofu kept him quiet but clearly nervous.

The fifth ball, another bouncer, Mutumbami unwisely tried to hook, only to sky a catch to midwicket and depart for an admirable innings of 99, off, ironically, 99 balls, with eight fours and three sixes.

In the next over Munyonga drove the final delivery from Tshuma through the covers for three to complete a fine victory, with five balls to spare.

Ervine’s great innings had been in vain for his team, but it certainly made for a good contest.

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