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Manicaland Mountaineers – 126 all out in 40 overs (Tinashe Chimbambo 46, Ngoni Mupamba 15, Kevin Kasuza 14; Tony Munyonga 4/9, Brandon Mavuta 2/46)
Rising Stars – 127-1 in 26.4 overs (Tafadzwa Tsiga 48*, Tafara Mupariwa 43*, Tinashe Kamunhukamwe 28; Tendai Chatara 1/17)
Rising Stars won by nine wickets
A disastrous middle-order batting collapse, mainly to the off-breaks of Tony Munyonga, cost Manicaland Mountaineers their 100 percent record in the Pro50 Championship at Takashinga Sports Club on Friday.
They were able to total only 126 runs in their innings, a target that Rising Stars had no difficulty in reaching before three o’clock in the afternoon, for the loss of only one wicket.
Stars won the toss on a mild sunny morning and put Mountaineers in to bat.
They lost Innocent Kaia in the second over, as he drove a simple catch to mid-off from the bowling of Mohammad Faraz Akram for three, with the total at six.
Kevin Kasuza scored a laborious 14 off 48 balls before he sliced a drive into the covers off Tinashe Muchawaya, making the score 50 for two after 15 overs.
The debutant Ngoni Mupamba now came in to join Tinashe Chimbambo, who was badly dropped at long-on soon afterwards with his score at 23.
Chimbambo continued to attack the bowling and did well, looking set to reach his first fifty for Mountaineers, until he like Kasuza sliced a drive off Munyonga and was caught in the covers for 46 off 71 balls; 92 for three in the 27th over.
One run later, Kudzai Sauramba was out lbw to Munyonga without scoring, and in the next over Mupamba missed a sweep and was lbw to Brandon Mavuta for 15.
Mountaineers were suddenly reduced to 95 for five and the game had turned sharply in favour of Stars.
Richard Ngarava came back into the attack, and struck another blow for Stars by having Clive Chitumba caught at the wicket without scoring; 97 for six.
For once Donald Tiripano was unable to rescue his side, as he drove a ball from Munyonga uppishly into the covers and was caught for three, quickly followed by Wellington Masakadza, stumped for four.
The score was now a desperate 105 for eight, and Munyonga had figures of four wickets for seven runs off five overs.
Tendai Chatara, late in responding for a quick single, ran himself out without scoring, but Natsai M’shangwe showed some defiance by driving Mavuta for six.
The last man, Victor Nyauchi, copied him in Mavuta’s following over before M’shangwe (12) was caught on the long-on boundary to bring the innings to an end at 126.
The last pair added 20 together after seven wickets had gone down for 14 runs; their stand was the third-largest of the innings, Nyauchi contributing 10 not out.
Munyonga finished with the remarkable figures of four for nine in eight overs, while Mavuta took two wickets.
Chimbambo’s 46 had been the only innings larger than 15.
The innings lasted only 40 overs, so there was time for Stars to start their innings before lunch.
Tinashe Kamunhukamwe and Tafadzwa Tsiga opened for Stars against the bowling of Chatara and Nyauchi.
Kamunhukamwe, as usual, was quick to attack, and Nyauchi conceded 17 runs off his opening two-over spell.
He ran to 28 out of 37 off 24 balls before he skyed a ball from Chatara high over the covers, where Wellington Masakadza ran back at full speed to hold an outstanding catch.
At lunch they had reached 41 for one wicket off eight overs, with Tsiga on eight and Tafara Mupariwa one.
After the interval it was plain sailing for the batsmen.
None of the Mountaineers bowlers presented any threat, except possibly for Chatara.
In little over an hour the match was won without further loss, Tsiga finishing on 48 and Mupariwa on 43.
Mountaineers remain top of the table, thanks to their two big victories earlier in the season, but Rising Stars move up to nine points, one behind their previously beaten opponents.
In the other match the Bulawayo Metropolitan Tuskers beat the Midlands Rhinos by five wickets with 115 balls remaining.
Richmond Mutumbami (90) and Brian Chari (60*) led the chase as after dismissing the Rhinos 193. Tuskers made 194/5 the winner being a six off the bat of Chari.
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