Mountaineers eye cup double

domestic competitions as they keep their eyes fixed on the remaining two titles on offer when the season winds up at the end of the month.
The team now under the tutelage of former national team player Gary Brent has been in good form in the first class Logan Cup competition and the MetBank Pro40 Series despite losing their crown as champions of the Stanbic Bank Twenty20 competition earlier in the season.
Mountaineers are strong favourites for the two titles following their impressive run this year. They will clash with Mid West Rhinos in the first semi-final of the MetBank Pro40 Championships on March 25 at Harare Sports Club, with the winners scheduled to meet either Matabeleland Tuskers or Southern Rocks in the final on March 27. They are also billed to clash with Matabeleland Tuskers in the finals of the Logan Cup competition on March 30 after finishing comfortably on top of the table. Brent yesterday exuded with confidence and strongly believes that Mountaineers would be their own enemies if they fail to cap a fine season with silverware.
“We are not taking anything for granted. Mountaineers did great work this season to finish on top of both tables. We had a wonderful run-up to the finals of the Logan Cup winning our last three matches comfortably. It was tremendous work and we look forward to continue with the form.
“Since my arrival we only played one Pro40 match and we won it. I do not want to credit it to myself but the team has really performed well and it was great our captain Hamilton Masakadza stepped up his game, and so did most of the players,” said Brent.
Mountaineers finished the round robin stages unbeaten and sat on top of the four-day Logan Cup competition table with 48 points. Their nearest rivals Tuskers followed in a distant second place on 32 points. Mountaineers also had a good run in the limited overs competition finishing top of the MetBank Pro40 Championships with 28 points, 10 ahead of Tuskers in second place. Brent said Mountaineers are looking forward to repeat last season’s feat when they bagged two of the three titles in the domestic competitions.
“Whether we will be able to do that or not, I believe we can do it. We have been on top of our game and the players are applying themselves quite well. We have the firepower and the talent. Maybe the only thing that can stop us at this moment is ourselves,” said Brent.
Mountaineers have seen great performances from players such as Timycen Maruma, Tino Mawoyo and Jonathan Beukes who are all among the top five scoring batsmen in the limited overs game. South African Beukes is currently on top of the charts with 301 runs from six innings while Maruma is in second place with 265. Bowlers Natsai Mushangwe and Tendai Chatara have also stepped up their act with great efforts. Chatara is the currently the highest first class wicket taker with 51 scalps in the bag while Mushangwe has 35. Organisers of the competition Dominus Sport have already started preparations to host the finals after the initial event was abandoned due to incessant rains in Harare last month.
“The preparations are on course and I think we are going to have a better event than the original. The idea is to have a quality tournament and to get as many people as possible to come and watch. There will be lots of fun and entertainment for everyone and entrance will be free,” said Dirk Viljoen of Dominus Sport.