Pro50 Championship: Mavuta’s seven-wicket haul in vain as Eagles win rain-hit game

Alliance Health Eagles – 211 all out in 45.1 overs (Tadiwanashe Marumani 79, Faraz Akram 40, Tapiwa Mufudza 26; Brandon Mavuta 7/41, Johnathan Campbell 1/22, Carl Mumba 1/32)

Rhinos – 95-5 in 23.3 overs (Takudzwanashe Kaitano 20, Prince Masvaure 19, Johnathan Campbell 15; Tapiwa Mufudza 3/18, Kadeem Alleyne 1/3, Tanaka Chivanga 1/31)

Alliance Health Eagles won by 21 runs (Duckworth-Lewis method)

Tadiwanashe Marumani (79 runs) and Tapiwa Mufudza (three wickets) were the key players for Alliance Health Eagles as they turned the tables on Rhinos at Kwekwe Sports Club on Monday, winning the return Pro50 Championship match between the teams by 21 runs on Duckworth-Lewis.

This was despite a brilliant bowling performance from Brandon Mavuta, who took seven good wickets for Rhinos.

Eagles, put in to bat, had a very patchy innings.

They enjoyed a brisk but brief opening partnership of 32 until in the sixth over Nick Welch (13) drove a catch to Takudzwanashe Kaitano at mid-off from Carl Mumba’s bowling.

His partner Marumani was a superb form, though, and as long as he was in a succession of failures by his partners was not as serious as it might have been.

He alone could handle the fine leg-spin bowling of Mavuta, who picked off his partners one by one at regular intervals.

Kudzai Maunze was caught at point by Mike Chinouya off Mavuta for two, while Chamu Chibhabha was beaten by the spin and stumped for six.

Six wickets were down for 117, but just as Faraz Akram arrived at the crease and began batting with more determination, Marumani tried a reverse sweep off Mavuta and popped a simple catch to Mumba at point.

He scored 79 off only 62 balls, with four sixes and nine fours.

Akram built a sturdy innings while Tanaka Chivanga became Mavuta’s final victim at 141 for eight before his overs expired.

With Mavuta now out of the picture, Mufudza could settle in and build the largest partnership of the innings, 61 for the ninth wicket with Akram.

Even so, they were unable to use up the full 50 overs, as at 202 Akram was caught at long-on off Johnathan Campbell’s bowling for 40, off 71 balls.

Mufudza was last out, run out for 26, and the final total was 211, scored off 45.1 overs.

Mavuta quite dominated the bowling, taking seven wickets for 41 runs.

The pitch continued to help the spinners, as Mufudza had a big part to play in Rhinos’ reply.

They began well, with Kaitano scoring 20 and Prince Masvaure 19 as they put up an opening partnership of 39.

But when Masvaure was out the score was 60 for four in the 19th over.

Campbell hit a quick 15, while Nyasha Mayavo batted more cautiously and was 13 not out when lightning persuaded the umpires to take the players from the field at 95 for five in the 24th over.

Rain brought the match to an end at that point without resumption, and it was clear that at this point in time Rhinos were at a considerable disadvantage.

Mufudza was mainly responsible for the trouble with three for 18 in eight overs.

Duckworth-Lewis was brought into operation, and the result was that Eagles were declared winners by 21 runs.

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Mountaineers – 239 all out in 38.1 overs (Shingi Masakadza 49, Spencer Magodo 46, Tinashe Muchawaya 32; Nigel Mupurura 4/47, Sydney Murombo 2/41, William Mashinge 2/42)

Southern Rocks – 119-9 in 20.5 overs (Roy Kaia 34, Blessed Muzite 31, Cephas Zhuwao 14; Vincent Masekesa 3/21, Victor Nyauchi 2/24, Donald Tiripano 1/12)

Mountaineers won by 52 runs (Duckworth-Lewis method)

A blistering innings of 49 by Shingi Masakadza was at the head of a fine revival by Mountaineers which led to a Duckworth-Lewis victory over Southern Rocks in a Pro50 Championship match at Mutare Sports Club on Monday.

After a late start due to overnight rain, Rocks put Mountaineers in to bat and soon had them in trouble.

Within three overs both openers, Kevin Kasuza and Clive Chitumba, were out for a single apiece, with the score two for two.

Joylord Gumbie, playing cautiously, made nine before he was bowled by Nigel Mupurura, while a more aggressive PJ Moor perished the same way for 25, making the score 41 for four wickets.

There followed a determined partnership of 57 between Timycen Maruma, who was out for 30, and Spencer Magodo, with 46.

The middle order scored well and aggressively, but lacked one player to break through and make the big score they really needed.

Donald Tiripano scored 36, while Tinashe Muchawaya got 32 off only 23 balls, with four sixes.

The most spectacular batting, though, came from Masakadza at number nine, whose powerful hitting brought him 49 off only 25 balls, with five sixes and two fours.

The whole innings was very entertaining, with 239 runs being scored, all out, off only 38.1 overs.

Mupurura was the most successful bowler with four wickets for 47 runs, while there were two each for Sydney Murombo and William Mashinge.

Rain meant that the target for Rocks was adjusted, setting them 185 to win in 26 overs.

This time round it was not Zhuwao’s day, although he hit three fours and raced to 14 off seven balls, but was then caught by Maruma off Victor Nyauchi – 23 for one in the third over.

Most of his team-mates tried to emulate his hitting, though with unfortunate results, as the fourth wicket fell for 44 in only the seventh over: Ben Curran eight, Brian Mudzinganyama 11 and Tafadzwa Tsiga three.

Blessed Muzite and Roy Kaia then put on a stand, and at 98 in the 15th over Muzite was bowled by Tiripano for 31 off 34 balls.

William Mashinge and Tendai Chisoro soon followed without scoring, out to successive deliveries from Vincent Masekesa, and Rocks stumbled to 99 for seven – still only in the 16th over.

Kaia was still there, batting well, and he tried to hit out as the tail collapsed about him, but he was eventually caught by Moor off Masekesa for 34, scored off 37 balls, the next ball after the run-out of Mutsamba.

At 119 for nine in 20.5 overs, the umpires took the players from the field due to bad light and Mountaineers were declared the winners by 52 runs.

Masekesa bowled well to take three wickets for 21 runs in his five overs, while Nyauchi had two for 24.