Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
MUTARE cricket franchise — Mega Market Mountaineers — breathed a huge sigh of relief when they bagged their maiden victory in the Pro50 Championship campaign against Mid West Rhinos in the 2026–27 season at Kwekwe Sports Club last Friday.
Mega Market Mountaineers won by four wickets, chasing down a target of 216 runs, with 20 balls remaining (216/6 in 46.4 overs to Rhinos’ 215 all out), but this was before Mid West Rhinos turned on the heat to win the rematch on Sunday by 16 runs at the same venue, scoring 310/8 in 50 overs, and restricting Mountaineers to 294/8.
Nkosilathi Nungu’s four-wicket haul helped Rhinos withstand a magnificent 159 from Timycen Maruma to beat Mountaineers by 16 runs.
However, last Friday’s victory gave the Mega Market Mountaineers a reason to believe that the future is bright.
Mega Market Mountaineers assistant coach, Donald Tirpano, said: “It is a great feeling winning our first match in the campaign against Rhinos. We hope to build from that.
“With our captain scoring the majority of our runs at 159, shows that the guys are willing to get the work done. It also shows that they are determined to get the desired results for Mega Market Mountaineers.
“Looking at youngsters like Simbarashe Mudzengerere, showing great potential, who scored 69 runs, building a great partnership with skipper, Timcen Maruma, it shows that we have a lot of youngsters with great potential. The list includes the likes of Takudzwa Nyamugure who had 31, Anesu Kamuriwo with very good bowling figures. This is a blend of youngsters and seniors.”
Tiripano emphasised that the fusion of young blood and their senior counterparts is a process that begs for patience as it will eventually bear fruit.
“It is a process that I think we need to be patient with. We need to give them all the support they need. I am sure that in the next fixture, we will see better results, because the graph is actually changing. We have every reason to believe.
“We are still in contention to make it to the final, so I am backing the guys to come to the party. Our supporters are a very, very important part of Mega Market Mountaineers, we need their support and without it, we can never achieve our goals,” said the Mountaineers assistant coach.
According to the Zimbabwe Cricket match report on Sunday’s return encounter at Kwekwe Sports Club, Rhinos lost Tafadzwa Machachi for two to Tendai Chatara, before a second-wicket partnership of 103 gave their innings a strong foundation.
Ahsan Ali Aqil led the way with 76 off as many deliveries, striking two sixes and nine fours, before becoming the second batter dismissed.
Villan Changa provided steady support with 31, while Dylan Nzvenga contributed 21, before another substantial partnership lifted Rhinos towards an imposing total.
Tapiwa Mushore joined Nyasha Mayavo at 163 for four, and the pair added 95 in just 14 overs.
Mayavo was dismissed with the score on 258, having struck a superb 88 off 63 balls, including a six and nine fours.
Mushore made 38 off 50 deliveries before falling to Chatara, while Tendai Chisoro supplied a powerful finish with an unbeaten 21 off just nine balls to take Rhinos to 310 for eight. Chatara was the pick of the Mountaineers attack, returning an impressive three for 35 from nine overs.
Nungu then put Rhinos firmly in control with an incisive opening spell.
He took a return catch to dismiss Joylord Gumbie for eight in his second over and ran out Brandon Senzere, also for eight, in the next.
Alistair Frost, for nine, and Ronak Patel, for one, were then caught behind off Nungu in quick succession, leaving Mountaineers in trouble at 32 for four.
Maruma began the recovery alongside opener Takudzwa Nyamugure, who made 31, but Spencer Magodo soon followed for three as Mountaineers slipped to 95 for six in the 24th over.
Simbarashe Mudzengerere then joined Maruma in a spirited fightback, providing valuable support as his partner launched a stunning assault on the bowling.
Maruma kept Mountaineers in contention deep into the closing overs, striking nine sixes and nine fours in a superb display of attacking batting.
With the score on 282 and just nine deliveries remaining, Nungu delivered the decisive breakthrough, bowling Maruma for 159 off 121 balls.
Mudzengerere finished unbeaten on 69 as Mountaineers closed on 294 for eight, with only three batters reaching double figures.
Nungu ended with four for 61 from his 10 overs as Rhinos completed a second successive victory over Mountaineers.
Mountaineers finds hope in maiden Pro50 triumph
