LOGAN CUP: Kaitano century saves Rhinos from disaster against Mountaineers

Rhinos – 184 all out in 49.4 overs (Takudzwanashe Kaitano 109, Nyasha Mayavo 34*, Trevor Gwandu 9; Victor Nyauchi 5/48, Tendai Chatara 2/35, Donald Tiripano 2/35)

Mountaineers – 112-2 in 37 overs (Kevin Kasuza 55*, Timycen Maruma 41*, Kudzai Sauramba 8; Michael Chinouya 1/20, Trevor Gwandu 1/28)

Day 1 – Stumps: Mountaineers trail by 72 runs

Despite a superb century by their opening batter, Takudzwanashe Kaitano, the Rhinos batting fared badly against Mountaineers in their Logan Cup match at Harare Sports Club on Saturday, as play ended with the latter in a potentially strong position.

Mountaineers won the toss and put Rhinos in to bat.

Their innings turned out to be a one-and-a-half man show, as nine batters failed to reach double figures.

Kaitano played superbly and scored almost 60 percent of his team’s eventual total, a rare occurrence, with 109 out of 184.

Prince Masvaure, after his heroics of the previous match against Tuskers, was out for four this time round, caught by Wellington Masakadza off the bowling of Victor Nyauchi.

Nyauchi and Tendai Chatara continued to wreak havoc among the Rhinos batters, with the great exception of Kaitano.

The opener played a fine positive game and kept the score moving at a good pace, despite the failures of successive partners at the other end.

The fifth wicket, that of Johnathan Campbell for eight, fell at 104 in the 29th over, at which point Kaitano already had 75.

He now finally found a partner able to handle the bowling in Nyasha Mayavo, and the pair put on 55 runs together in 13 overs, by which time Kaitano had reached his second first-class century off 110 balls.

They were just looking like turning the situation around for Rhinos when Kaitano’s great innings came to an end, as Nyauchi returned for his second spell and Masakadza caught the batter off his bowling for 109.

He scored his runs out of 159 for six wickets, off 132 balls and with 19 fours to his credit.

Mayavo now had to take over the role of unsupported batter as the tail collapsed around him, although Trevor Gwandu became the third-highest scorer by hitting nine off 10 balls.

Donald Tiripano removed the last two batters, both caught by Shingi Masakadza, with the score at 184, leaving Mayavo stranded on 34 not out (56 balls).

The whole innings had lasted only 49.4 overs, and without Kaitano would have been quite a disaster.

Nyauchi finished with the fine figures of five wickets for 48 in 15.4 overs, while there were two wickets each for Chatara and Tiripano, all pace bowlers.

Mountaineers, batting, soon suffered a setback when they lost the wicket of the century-maker of their last two matches, Ben Compton, lbw to Gwandu without scoring.

Kudzai Sauramba did not stay long, caught at the wicket off Michael Chinouya for eight, but Timycen Maruma proved to be a sound partner for the opening batter, Kevin Kasuza.

By the close, Mountaineers had moved to a score of 112 for two wickets, with Kasuza on 55 and Maruma 41.