LOGAN CUP RESULT: Eagles wrap up campaign with a win

Alliance Health Eagles – 169 and 231 all out in 72.5 overs (Will Fraine 85, Tinotenda Mutombodzi 47, Tinashe Nenhunzi 39; Mike Chinouya 4/48, Brandon Mavuta 3/69, Tafara Chingwara 2/41)

Rhinos – 162 and 81 all out in 26.3 overs (Ryan Burl 19, Remembrance Nyathi 18, Prince Masvaure 16; Brad Evans 3/25, Wessly Madhevere 2/19, Wishnanzy Chapfombo 1/1)

Alliance Health Eagles won by 157 runs

Alliance Health Eagles finished their disappointing Logan Cup campaign with what was ultimately a comfortable win over Rhinos at Old Hararians Sports Club on Sunday.

Mike Chinouya had however given Rhinos hope of pulling off an unexpected victory, as his four wickets bundled out the Eagles batters.

Unfortunately for him, his team’s own batters failed dismally to rise to the challenge, and Rhinos won the Logan Cup wooden spoon as they were tumbled out for just 81 runs, to lose the match by 157 runs.

Eagles began the day quite well-placed in their second innings, with a score of 171 for four wickets – Will Frayne was on 85 and Brad Evans two.

Chinouya removed both overnight batters before they had added to these scores, bowling Evans and dismissing Frayne lbw, to make the score 180 for six.

That they eventually totalled 231 was due almost entirely to a fighting innings of 47 by Tino Mutombodzi, scored off 52 balls.

The last four batters scored only seven runs between them, although Tanaka Chivanga deserves credit for supporting Mutombodzi in a ninth-wicket partnership of 32, to which he contributed six.

Chinouya, whose early wickets turned the innings around, finished with four for 48, while Brandon Mavuta took three wickets and Tafara Chingwara two.

Rhinos found themselves back in the game – apparently – with a target of 239 to chase.

Immediately they batted, though, just before lunch, they lost Takudzwanashe Kaitano, lbw to Richard Ngarava’s fifth delivery without a run on the board.

For a while all seemed to be proceeding well with the Rhinos innings, as Prince Masvaure and Ryan Burl batted steadily together and took the score to 39.

Then Masvaure retired hurt for 16 after suffering a concussion, and the whole pack of cards came crashing down, as Burl immediately followed, lbw to Chivanga for 19.

Remembrance Nyathi played some good strokes for a while to make 18, but the later batting was a shambles, with the last seven batters scarping only 21 runs between them without one reaching double figures.

In only 26.3 overs Rhinos tumbled to 81 all out and a defeat by 157 runs.

Evans took three wickets for 25, but in fact all six bowlers tried took at least one wicket.

Rhinos have finished bottom of the Logan Cup log.