Online ReporterAli Hasnain and Dion Myers played leading roles as Eagles cruised to a straightforward five-wicket victory over Mountaineers in their Domestic T20 Competition clash at Kwekwe Sports Club on Tuesday.
After winning the toss, Eagles sent Mountaineers in to bat and Hasnain made an immediate impact, striking in each of his first two overs.
He first trapped Tinashe Chiorah lbw for four before having Nick Welch caught by Craig Ervine for seven, reducing Mountaineers to 14 for two.
The early setbacks proved costly and Mountaineers never fully recovered, despite Brian Bennett providing some resistance with a fluent 34.
Mountaineers closed their innings on a modest 104 for nine from their 20 overs.
Eagles’ reply was not without its stumbles, as they lost four wickets for 39 runs, with Michael Frost claiming two of them.
Myers, though, held firm, anchoring the innings before finding a reliable partner in Tony Munyonga.
The pair added 54 for the fifth wicket, taking Eagles to 93 before Munyonga was dismissed for 21.
Myers remained unbeaten on 53, steering Eagles to victory with five overs to spare.
Meanwhile, a superb final over from Jalat Khan proved decisive as Southern Rocks edged Tuskers by one run in a tense Domestic T20 encounter at Kwekwe Sports Club on Tuesday afternoon.
Rocks, who began the match second on the log, struggled after choosing to bat first upon winning the toss.
Their innings lacked fluency, with four wickets falling for 44 runs and seven down for 76, including two run-outs.
They were rescued from a potentially disastrous total by an enterprising eighth-wicket partnership between Johnathan Campbell and Newman Nyamhuri.
The pair counter-attacked boldly, adding 63 runs in less than six overs.
Nyamhuri struck 18 from 14 balls, while Campbell carried his bat for a vital 49 off 41 deliveries as Rocks posted 133 for eight.
The wickets were evenly shared among the Tuskers bowlers, with Tinotenda Maposa the most successful, returning figures of two for 21.
In response, Tuskers’ chase faltered early, with opener Munashe Chimusoro the only batter to show real staying power at the top of the order.
None of the other top-order batters managed more than 12, although Chimusoro and Brian Mudzinganyama (10) added 46 for the first wicket.
Wickets then fell at regular intervals, with a key moment coming when star batter Milton Shumba was run out for 12.
Chimusoro was eventually dismissed as the third wicket to fall at 82, and by the 19th over Tuskers appeared all but beaten at 112 for eight.
Ernest Masuku reignited hope by smashing two fours and a six off Arinesto Vezha in the penultimate over, leaving seven runs required from Khan’s final over.
Khan struck immediately, having Ainsley Ndlovu caught, before conceding a single.
With four needed from the final two deliveries, Masuku could manage only two from the last ball, as Khan held his nerve to seal a dramatic one-run victory for Rocks.
Brief scores:
Mountaineers – 104-9 in 20 overs (Brian Bennett 34, Timycen Maruma 11, Wellington Masakadza 11; Ali Hasnain 3/18, Muhammad Kashif 2/16, Tony Munyonga 2/18)
Eagles – 105-5 in 15 overs (Dion Myers 53*, Tony Munyonga 21, Tinashe Kamunhukamwe 14; Michael Frost 3/20, Wellington Masakadza 1/20)
Result: Eagles won by five wickets
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Southern Rocks – 133-8 in 20 overs (Johnathan Campbell 49*, Newman Nyamhuri 18, Ashley Mufandauya 15; Tinotenda Maposa 2/21, Ernest Masuku 2/40, Tanatswa Bechani 1/11)
Tuskers – 132-9 in 20 overs (Munashe Chimusoro 46, Ernest Masuku 16*, Milton Shumba 12; Arinesto Vezha 3/25, Owen Muzondo 2/10, Jalat Khan 2/14)
Result: Southern Rocks won by one run
