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EAGLES have claimed the 2023/24 Pro50 Championship cricket trophy after defeating Rhinos by five wickets in the final of the provincial one-day competition played at Takashinga Cricket Club in Harare on Saturday.
On winning the toss, Eagles opted to field and after six overs it seemed as though the match was effectively over as some good pace bowling from Richard Ngarava and Ameer Hamza shattered the early Rhinos batting.
Takudzwanashe Kaitano made a dashing start, but in the third over he lost Bright Matsiwe, caught at the wicket off Ngarava without scoring, and in the same bowler’s next over he himself skyed a catch and was caught for a dashing 28 off 22 balls.
Then came the greatest blow, as Antum Naqvi, the hero of several Rhinos victories this season, was caught at the wicket off Hamza’s fourth ball without getting off the mark, and the score was 38 for three.
The crisis deepened when Ben Curran was given out caught at slip off the bowling of Wessly Madhevere for nine to make the score 50 for four, followed by Nyasha Mayavo, another wicket-keeping catch, off Hamza, for seven – 65 for five.
Fortunately, there was fighting spirit left in the Rhinos team, as Brandon Mavuta joined Prince Masvaure and the pair fought superbly to add 78 for the sixth wicket in 18 overs before Masvaure fell to Hamza for 48.
Brief Score:
Rhinos — 246-9 in 50 overs (Brandon Mavuta 69, Prince Masvaure 48, Muhammad Adil 40*; Ameer Hamza 4/46, Faraz Akram 2/18, Richard Ngarava 2/55)
Eagles — 247-5 in 44.3 overs (Tinashe Kamunhukamwe 63, Nick Welch 58, Chamu Chibhabha 46*; Muhammad Adil 2/59, Brandon Mavuta 1/23, Mike Chinouya 1/26)
Result: Eagles won by five wickets. — Cric Info
Online Reporter