Williams, Ncube shine as Tuskers skittle Rhinos

Tuskers – 191 all out in 44.1 overs (Cunningham Ncube 65, Sean Williams 38, Craig Ervine 26; Ryan Burl 3/35, Brandon Mavuta 3/45, Carl Mumba 2/41)

Rhinos – 81 all out in 26 overs (Tarisai Musakanda 29, Ryan Burl 25, Takudzwanashe Kaitano 8; Sean Williams 4/16, John Nyumbu 2/9, Chris Mpofu 2/17)

Tuskers won by 110 runs

Sean Williams, with the second-top score and best bowling figures of the match, had an excellent all-round game at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo on Sunday as Tuskers overwhelmed Rhinos by 110 runs in a Pro50 Championship clash.

Williams gave his side a good early advantage with the bat as he hammered 38 off 35 balls in a third-wicket partnership of 54 with the solid Cunningham Ncube, who himself played a remarkable innings, and then destroyed the Rhinos middle-order batting by taking four wickets for only 16 runs.

Tuskers gained a big advantage by winning the toss and batting first, as the pitch deteriorated during the course of the day, and their 191 runs on it was a fine effort.

The ball often kept low — in the Tuskers innings eight batsmen were bowled, two lbw and none caught, which is quite remarkable — and also took a lot of spin throughout the match.

Rhinos opened their bowling with the left-arm spinner Tendai Chisoro, who did not take a wicket but was remarkably economical in bowling his 10 overs for only 25 runs.

Neville Madziva soon bowled Brian Chari for four, but Ncube played a fine anchor innings, and Craig Ervine, no doubt realising the uncertainty of the pitch, went for his strokes and scored 26 off 29 balls.

The partnership with Williams followed — the all-rounder faced only 35 balls for his 38 — but then the two leg-spinners Brandon Mavuta and Ryan Burl broke through the middle order and Tuskers slid from 94 for two to 100 for seven.

Then came the partnership that decided the match, as Chris Mpofu, once a mighty but unreliable hitter but now a more careful player trying to become a reliable all-rounder, joined Ncube.

At this stage Ncube, with 21 off 50 balls thus far, decided it was time for him to play more strokes if his team was to reach a reasonable total.

While Mpofu concentrated on holding his end up, Ncube went after the bowling and the pair took the score to 170 before Mpofu was bowled by Carl Mumba for 19 off 50 balls.

John Nyumbu, next in, scored a quick 10 off 12 balls and took the score to 190 before leaving last man Charlton Tshuma to join Ncube.

In the following over Ncube, trying to hit out before he ran out of partners, was bowled by Mumba for 65 and the innings closed for 191.

Ncube, first in and last out, hit three fours and a six and faced 99 balls, an invaluable innings that held his team together.

Only briefly did Rhinos look as if they might challenge this total.

Bothwell Chapungu fell for one in the first over, bowled by Mpofu.

There was a flurry of runs from Tarisai Musakanda, as usual very eager — and often too eager — to dominate, but when Mpofu trapped Takudzwanashe Kaitano lbw for eight the slide began.

The two left-arm spinners were responsible for what followed: Ainsley Ndlovu bowled the danger man, PJ Moor, for two, Williams had Remembrance Nyathi caught at the wicket without scoring, and when Musakanda was caught off Ndlovu for 29 the score was 52 for five wickets.

Burl fought hard to score 25 off 50 balls, and was last out, bowled by Williams, but he received no support from the tail at all.

In 26 overs Rhinos had been dismissed for 81 runs and the match was completed early in the afternoon.

There were only two catches in the Rhinos’ innings — five batsmen were bowled and three lbw.

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