Campbell-Chiradza record stand, three fifers light up first day

Southern Rocks – 385-5 in 84 overs (Johnathan Campbell 176*, Alvin Chiradza 109*, Innocent Kaia 44; Michael Chinouya 2/53, Antum Naqvi 1/31, Muhammad Adil 1/48)

Rhinos –

Day 1 – Stumps

A record sixth-wicket partnership in first-class cricket in Zimbabwe was achieved at Old Hararians Sports Club on Wednesday for Southern Rocks in their Logan Cup match against Rhinos.

The batters concerned were Johnathan Campbell and Alvin Chiradza, who both made their highest scores and were still together at the close after adding 288 to their team’s tally.

Rocks, put in to bat, were soon in trouble as they lost their first three wickets, two to Michael Chinouya, for 37 runs.

Innocent Kaia, who opened the innings, was still there, and with Richmond Mutumbami he steadied the innings for a while, but with only 97 on the board these two were disposed of as well, and Rhinos were right on top.

Then Campbell and Chiradza took over and tamed the bowlers in remarkable style.

The previous highest sixth-wicket partnership for any Zimbabwean team was 207, by Foster Mutizwa, now an umpire, and Steven Nyamuzinga for Easterns versus Westerns at Country Club in Harare in the 2008/09 season.

Campbell was the more aggressive of the two, and by the close he had taken his score to 176 not out, having so far faced 204 balls and hit four sixes and 19 fours.

Chiradza, whose maiden first-class century it is, had scored 109 off 188 balls to date, with a six and 11 fours.

Rocks at the close, when bad light stopped play, had reached 385 for five wickets and were well in the driving seat.

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Mountaineers – 187 all out in 32 overs (PJ Moor 56, Donald Tiripano 25, Salman Mirza 23; Mamoon ur Riaz 5/55, Tinotenda Maposa 5/61)

Tuskers – 139-6 in 43.1 overs (Dalubuhle Mboyi 34*, Aliakbar Hamid 29, Awad Naqvi 25; Salman Mirza 5/34, Tendai Chatara 1/32)

Day 1 – Stumps: Tuskers trail by 48 runs

Two Pakistani bowlers and Tuskers medium-pacer Tinotenda Maposa took the honours on a bowlers’ day in a so-far evenly balanced Logan Cup match between Mountaineers and Tuskers at Harare Sports Club on Wednesday.

Batters found the going tough and Mountaineers, put in to bat, could score only 187 in their first innings.

Kevin Kasuza, opening the innings, made 20, but the Mutare-based team was in trouble when their fifth wicket went down for 61, with Maposa having removed the first three, two bowled and one lbw.

PJ Moor, returning to the side, decided that the only way to go was to hit out, and he did so fearlessly to score the only fifty of the day, 56 off 28 balls, with two sixes and eight fours.

Donald Tiripano and Salman Mirza made useful twenties and the final team score was 187.

Maposa finished with five wickets for 61 runs, while Mamoon ur Riaz had five for 55.

Tuskers also found themselves in trouble very quickly, losing their first three wickets for 18 runs, with Nkosana Mpofu, Tanu Makoni and Brian Chari out for four, six and eight respectively.

Awad Naqvi with 25, retired hurt, and Hamid Ali, 29, improved the situation by adding 57 for the fourth wicket, but six were down for 87.

Then before the close, Dalubuhle Mboyi with 34 and Maposa, 15, both not out, improved the situation to take the score to 139 for six wickets, leaving the match fairly evenly balanced.

Fine bowling by Salman Mirza in two excellent spells did most of the damage, and he has taken five of the six wickets to fall.