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Rangers – 221 all out in 80 overs (Brian Mudzinganyama 63, Takudzwa Takodza 44, Tanunurwa Makoni 28; Mutombodzi 5/63, Tapiwa Mufudza 3/53, Patrick Mambo 1/20)
Eagles – 12-0 in 8 overs (Chamu Chibhabha 7*, Kudzai Maunze 3*)
Day 1 – Stumps: Eagles trail by 209 runs with 10 wickets remaining in the first innings
The left-handed Rangers opening batsman, Brian Mudzinganyama, took centre stage at Harare Sports Club today with a fine innings of 63 against Eagles on his first-class début.
Helped by fellow debutants Tanunurwa Makoni and Takudzwa Takodza, he led his team to an unexpectedly fine start to the Logan Cup match, only for a lower-order collapse to the spinners to take the final total to 221.
Such a start was particularly remarkable as Rangers, consisting of players from former Zimbabwe captain Alistair Campbell’s cricket academy and coached by the former national all-rounder Gary Brent, contained no fewer than six players, including all the leading batsmen, making their debuts in first-class cricket.
It must also have come as quite a shock to Eagles, so accustomed to having their own way on their home ground, and especially against such an inexperienced team.
On a hot, humid morning Eagles performed their usual trick with the toss on their home ground: they won it and put the opposition in.
Rangers coach Gary Brent said he was quite happy to bat first in these conditions and on a good pitch, although it did have a tinge of green to it.
Mudzinganyama and Makoni, both debutants, opened the batting against the bowling of Blessing Muzarabani and Faraz Akram.
After three maiden overs, Makoni finally scored a single off Akram, and then Mudzinganyama cut and off-drove the same bowler for two fours off three balls.
Now they had started, the pair batted with remarkable skill and composure, considering their inexperience.
They showed both good technique and temperament, and when drinks were taken after an hour’s play they had put 49 runs on the board, with Mudzinganyama scoring 33 of them to Makoni’s 15.
Tapiwa Mufudza came on to bowl his off-breaks, and Eagles tried to put the batsmen under pressure by bringing in two close fielders as the 50 came up without loss.
The pair put on a most praiseworthy 69 before the first wicket fell, as Makoni (28) edged a catch to slip off Mufudza.
He faced 71 deliveries in a watchful innings, with some good strokes, although only hitting two fours.
This brought in another debutant in Takodza, who concentrated on solid defence while Mudzinganyama also looked towards lunch.
At the break the score had reached 80 for one wicket, with Mudzinganyama on 45 and Takodza three.
Mudzinganyama spent more than 20 minutes after lunch making sure of his fifty, and eventually a quick single brought him to the landmark, off 98 balls.
As the hundred came up with still only one wicket down, Muzarabani, perhaps frustrated, resorted to too many bouncers, most of which the batsmen wisely ducked under.
Patrick Mambo took over, and it was he who finally removed Mudzinganyama, who did now take the bait of a short ball, went for the pull and was caught deep on the leg side.
He was out for a very impressive 63, scored off 116 balls and including 10 fours; the score was now 115 for two wickets as Clive Imbayago came to the wicket.
Imbayago handsomely drove the second delivery he faced through the covers for four, and made 15 before he nibbled at a ball from Akram outside the off stump and was caught at the wicket; 148 for three.
This brought in Johnathan Campbell, a left-handed batsman like his father Alistair, but with rather a crouching stance.
He was fortunate to get for his second delivery a bad leg-side ball from Tino Mutombodzi, that he was able to swing down to the long-leg fielder for a single.
He soon showed that he is very strong on the leg side, pulling another loose ball from Mutombodzi over midwicket for six.
However, his innings ended on the stroke of tea, when he was dismissed lbw by Mufudza for 11.
The score was then 166 for four, with Takodza, having batted steadily throughout the afternoon session, on 41.
After tea Clive Chitumba, a veteran of seven first-class matches, came in, scored a single and a two before he was caught in the slips off his third ball, from Mutombodzi.
Archibald Chiranda came and went just as quickly, lbw to Mutombodzi for two, and the score had quickly slumped to 171 for six, three wickets going down in seven balls.
Kyle Jarvis, recruited by Rangers from Rhinos, scored seven before also being caught at slip off Mutombodzi, at 181 for seven.
Then Takodza’s long innings of 44 finally came to an end, as he tried to swing a ball from Mufudza away on the leg side, but was given out caught at the wicket, although he felt it had come off his arm.
He faced 115 balls, an innings of fine concentration and accumulation, but hit only two fours; 181 for eight.
Dylan Hondo, brother of former Zimbabwe international Douglas Hondo, and Davis Murwendo, both in their second first-class match, were now in together.
Murwendo was next to go, bowled by Mutombodzi for five; 188 for nine.
Joined now by the last man Charlton Tshuma, the left-handed Hondo now began to hit out more boldly, but selectively, and took the score past 200.
The pair added 33 valuable runs before Hondo, aiming a big hit off a leg-side ball from Mutombodzi, was caught at the wicket for 22, leaving Tshuma not out with 12.
The total was 221, rather a disappointment after such a good start of 148 for two, but the batsmen played the pacemen much better than they did the spinners.
Inexperience at this level is, of course, a major factor, so in view of that Rangers should be very well pleased with their first day in the big time, while realising that they still have much to learn and work on.
The leg-spinner Mutombodzi took five wickets for 63, but was rather flattered by these figures, while his fellow spinner, the more accurate Mufudza, took three for 53.
Kudzai Maunze and Chamu Chibhabha opened the Eagles innings against the bowling of Tshuma and Jarvis.
Tshuma worked up quite a bit of pace, forcing the batsmen to play him carefully, while Jarvis had a close lbw appeal against Chibhabha turned down.
In eight overs before the close Eagles scored only 12 runs (Maunze 3*, Chibhabha 7*), so that was a further reason for Rangers to feel pleased with their day.
The odds are heavily stacked in Eagles’ favour to win this match, but whatever happens Rangers will have a major learning experience, and on balance they have done better than perhaps could be expected already.
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