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Eddie Chikamhi Senior Sports Reporter
NATIONAL cricket team players Craig Ervine and Brian Chari ensured Tuskers finished their Logan Cup with a flourish as the Bulawayo side moved closer to winning this year’s first class cricket title.
Tuskers cemented their place at the top of the table ahead of the final round of matches set for this weekend with a hard-fought six-wicket win over defending champions Southern Rocks at Old Hararians.
The 10 points took their tally to 53 points, three ahead of closest rivals Mountaineers, who look to have a big shout in the destiny of the title when they play Rocks in a game that begins tomorrow at Harare Sports Club.
They will be hoping for a slip up by Mountaineers, who pumped up the pressure on them when they beat Rhinos by 10 wickets the previous day to make the title contest a two-horse race.
Apparently Tuskers will be keeping their fingers crossed as they have a bye in the last round of matches that begins tomorrow. They know their destiny is not in their hands as the victory over Rocks was their last game of the season.
Mountaineers are currently on 50 points and with a game in hand while Rocks fell out of the race after they remained rooted in third place on 30 points.
However, Rocks still have a role to play in the destiny of the title in the game against the favourites Mountaineers.
The Mutare-based outfit need at least a draw to lift the domestic first-class cricket title. They demonstrated their intentions when they ran over Rhinos inside three days.
Tuskers also showed they were prepared to fight to the end when they responded to the challenge from Rocks with a batting masterclass in their previous match.
Ervine and Chari featured in a massive partnership of 201 runs, unbroken for the fifth wicket, on a dominant day for the Bulawayo-based side.
Tuskers reached the target without losing further wickets on the fourth and final day of the contest having begun the day on 117/4 in pursuit of a target of 288 runs.
Ervine’s 123* and Chari’s 110* runs sealed the game for the log leaders who recovered from a first innings deficit to take home the vital 10 points that edged them closer to the domestic first class cricket title.
Tuskers were bowled out for 183 runs in their first innings, after Rocks had batted first and put on 245 runs. The Masvingo-based outfit then put on 225 runs for the second innings to set what looked a competitive target.
And Tuskers looked well short having lost four wickets at stumps on the third day. But the experienced duo of Ervine and Chari took them home, with the latter blasting a six off the bowling of Cephas Zhuwao for the final winning runs. Chari played perhaps the best innings of his career, as he adapted to this situation and scored his fifth career century in first-class cricket, while for Ervine it was his 14th.
Chari was the more aggressive of the two: he reached his fifty off 98 balls against Ervine’s 124, while his century took 159 balls and Ervine’s 207.
Scorecards:
Southern Rocks – 245 and 225 all out in 65.5 overs (Innocent Kaia 86, Brian Mudzinganyama 34, Travor Mutsamba 26*; John Nyumbu 3/41, Ernest Masuku 3/71, Ainsley Ndlovu 2/22)
Tuskers – 183 and 290-4 in 88.1 overs (Craig Ervine 123*, Brian Chari 110*, Tanu Makoni 20; Travor Mutsamba 2/30, Privilege Chesa 1/48, Tendai Chisoro 1/65)
Tuskers won by six wickets
Rhinos – 184 and 238 all out in 83.2 overs (Johnathan Campbell 68, Charles Kunje 54, Trevor Gwandu 39; Victor Nyauchi 4/41, Donald Tiripano 2/26, Wellington Masakadza 1/33)
Mountaineers – 323 and 102-0 in 14.4 overs (Kevin Kasuza 59*, Ben Compton 33*)
Mountaineers won by 10 wickets
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