Eagles soar high as Myers, Maunze hit hundreds on day two

Tuskers – 321 all out in 92.1 overs (Sean Williams 88, Nkosana Mpofu 59, Clive Madande 48; Alex Russell 5/77, Faraz Akram 3/40, Wessly Madhevere 1/46)

Eagles – 391-3 in 91 overs (Dion Myers 179, Kudzai Maunze 113, Craig Ervine 57*; Nkosana Mpofu 1/35, Arnold Shara 1/51, Sean Williams 1/93)

Day 2 – Stumps: Eagles lead by 70 runs

Dion Myers enjoyed another excellent Logan Cup day as he hammered the Tuskers bowling for a superb 179 runs as Eagles ran up a score of 391 for three wickets on the second day of their match at Queens Sports Club on Friday.

Overnight, Tuskers had made 314 runs for seven wickets in their first innings, but it took less than six overs for the Eagles bowlers to polish off their tail for a total of 321.

Jongwe was immediately dismissed for his overnight score of 28, lbw to Faraz Akram, who bowled out Arnold Shara with his next delivery.

Alex Russell then took the last wicket to finish with five wickets for 77 runs, while Akram had three for 40.

Eagles lost Tinashe Kamunhukamwe, bowled by Shara off the second ball of the innings without a run on the board, but that was the last success Tuskers had for another 249 runs.

Myers joined Kudzai Maunze and the pair then dominated the bowling, both scoring centuries.

Myers was the more aggressive of the two, but Maunze took most of the bowling as he scored 113 off 193 balls, with 17 fours.

Myers faced only five more deliveries before he was out at 316 for three, his highest score of 179 also containing 17 fours, but with the addition of six sixes.

Only another six runs saw Eagles take the lead with just three wickets down, and their innings remained in firm hands as Craig Ervine (57) and Wessly Madhevere (36) safely batted out the day, both being undefeated at the close with their team greatly advantaged.

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Mountaineers – 393 all out in 112.2 overs (Nick Welch 125, Mathew Welch 75, Timycen Maruma 53; Ben Curran 2/7, Mike Chinouya 2/33, Brandon Mavuta 2/149)

Rhinos – 216-6 in 60 overs (Nyasha Mayavo 59*, Ben Curran 52, Takudzwanashe Kaitano 45; Vincent Masekesa 4/72, Victor Nyauchi 1/24, Tendai Chatara 1/35)

Day 2 – Stumps: Rhinos trail by 177 runs

The leg-spin of Vincent Masekesa instigated a middle-order collapse of the Rhinos batting as Mountaineers held the advantage after two days’ play in their Logan Cup match at Kwekwe Sports Club on Friday.

Mountaineers began the day on 283 for six wickets, and some useful later batting enabled them to take their final score to 393.

Timycen Maruma, 49 overnight, scored only four more runs, enough to record a fifty, before he was out, and Mathew Welch, who had retired hurt on day one, then returned to the crease.

With help from the tail, he took his score to 75, an aggressive innings with four sixes and eight fours, and helped Mountaineers to come close to a 400 total.

Ben Curran was in aggressive mood when Rhinos replied, scoring 52 off 72 balls in a good opening partnership of 68 with a very cautious Takudzwanaishe Kaitano.

Musekiwa came on to bowl and took three quick wickets to send the score from 87 for one to 100 for four – one of these was Antum Naqvi, caught and bowled for nine.

Kaitano, the sheet-anchor, was still there, holding the innings together until he became Musekiwa’s fourth victim at 145 for four, having scored 45.

Nyasha Mayavo and Brandon Mavuta then fought back, Mavuta scoring 23 before he was out just before the close.

Mayavo was still there at the close with 59, his new partner being Brad Evans on five, and Rhinos yet to save the follow-on at 216 for six wickets.