LOGAN CUP: Mavuta stars again as Rhinos condemn Eagles to innings defeat

Eagles – 92 and 158 all out in 55.4 overs (Nick Welch 39, Kudzai Maunze 31, Tapiwa Mufudza 24*; Brandon Mavuta 6/85, Johnathan Campbell 2/15, Kiran Carlson 1/1)

Rhinos – 383 all out in 104.5 overs (Antum Naqvi 140*, Brandon Mavuta 80, Johnathan Campbell 46; Tapiwa Mufudza 4/106, Tanaka Chivanga 2/57, Alex Falao 1/34)

Rhinos won by an innings and 133 runs

Brandon Mavuta starred again with a six-wicket haul as Rhinos easily beat Eagles by an innings and 133 runs in their Logan Cup match at Kwekwe Sports Club on Monday.

His victims were the six top batters in the Eagles line-up, for a cost of 85 runs, which gave him match figures of 11 for 102, not to mention a score of 80 with the bat.

Overnight on this the third day, Eagles were eight for one wicket, with Kudzai Maunze on five and Larvet Masunda on two.

For a while these two batters played steadily and safely, with Masunda adopting the sheet-anchor role, rarely making an aggressive stroke.

With the score on 43 Maunze was caught by Johnathan Campbell off Mavuta for 31, and Chamu Chibhabha soon followed, lbw to the same bowler for eight, which consisted of two fours off the five balls he faced.

Nick Welch played the highest and best innings of the day, but Masunda went at 80, when Mavuta bowled him for 23.

Cunningham Ncube was also bowled by Mavuta for three, and the middle order had little to offer.

When Welch was eighth out, caught off Mavuta for 39, scored off 50 balls with two sixes and two fours, Eagles’ last hope of making a real fight of it was gone.

There was some resistance for the ninth wicket, as Tapiwa Mufudza (24 not out) was helped by the young Alex Falao (10) as they added 34 runs, but the last two wickets fell in consecutive overs and Eagles had lost a Logan Cup match for the first time this season.

Mavuta naturally dominated the bowling with his six wickets, bowling almost without a break for 25 overs, while Campbell took two.

This time Antum Naqvi was less successful, taking only one wicket for 52 runs.

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Mega Market Mountaineers – 260 all out in 54.2 overs (Shingi Masakadza 63, Timycen Maruma 63, Donald Tiripano 32; Cuthbert Musoko 6/48, Takudzwa Chataira 2/86, Trevor Mutsamba 1/35)

Southern Rocks – 64-3 in 14.4 overs (Ben Curran 36, Brian Mudzinganyama 15, Cephas Zhuwao 12; Shingi Masakadza 1/4, Donald Tiripano 1/9, Fortune Mhlanga 1/23)

Day 3 – Stumps: Southern Rocks trail by 196 runs

Some fine pace bowling from Cuthbert Musoko did most of the damage to Mega Market Mountaineers as they were bowled out for 260 on the third day of their rain-damaged Logan Cup match against Southern Rocks.

The other match in Kwekwe was actually over before the players were able to take the field again at Old Hararians Sports Club after the loss of the second day’s play, so wet had the ground been due to heavy rain.

Mountaineers resumed their innings at 96 for four wickets, with Timycen Maruma on 52 and PJ Moor 11.

Moor was quickly caught at the wicket off Musoko without adding to his score, and at 115 Musoko struck again when he trapped Maruma lbw for 63, scored off 73 balls with a six and 10 fours.

Six wickets were now down, but as so often Shingi Masakadza was the man for the situation, helped on this occasion by Donald Tiripano.

Masakadza was soon attacking the bowling with his powerful strokes, while Tiripano gave good support and kept the score moving along fluently.

They took the score to 206, after a partnership of 91, before Musoko returned and removed them both, Masakadza first to a catch at the wicket for 63 off 47 balls, with two sixes and 11 fours.

Tiripano was then caught for 32, but the innings was prolonged by useful scores from Tinashe Muchawaya (29) and Vincent Masekesa (21) who added 45 for the ninth wicket before both were out in quick succession.

The total was 260, and Musoko had completed his first six-wicket haul.

When Southern Rocks went in, Cephas Zhuwao quickly smote three fours, but then slashed at a ball from Fortune Mhlanga that was too close to him and was caught at point for 12 – 16 for one.

Ben Curran now joined Brian Mudzinganyama and immediately appeared to be in fine form, as he handled the bowling with confidence and struck six fours in good style.

But Mountaineers struck back just before the close, as first Mudzinganyama was out lbw to Tiripano for 15, and then Curran, hitting across the line at a ball from Masakadza, had his off stump knocked out of the ground to depart for 36, scored off 39 balls with six fours.

At this point the umpires decided that the light was too bad for further play, and the day ended with Rocks on 64 for three wickets, with Tafadzwa Tsiga the man at the crease yet to score.

2022/23 LOGAN CUP POINTS TABLE