Chronicle Editor
Brandon Moyo, Sports Reporter
MOUNTAINEERS were crowned 2022/23 Pro50 Championship winners after edging Rhinos by one run in the domestic cricket competition final played at Kwekwe Sports Club yesterday.
Mountaineers posted 277/7 in 50 overs after being asked to bat first and Rhinos fell heartbreakingly close, 276/8 they were in their 50 overs to fall short by just one run.
Definate Mawadzi was the star with the bat for the eventual champions as he scored 70 runs from 90 balls while skipper Timycen Maruma also scored a half century with 51 runs on the board and former Chevrons wicketkeeper, Peter Moor fell six runs short of a half century, scoring 44 runs.
Carl Mumba and Brandon Mavuta did most of the damage with the ball for Rhinos, taking three wickets each while Michael Chinouya had one wicket.
Rhinos’ chase got off to a bad start, Takudzwanashe Kaitano dismissed for a five-ball duck. Prince Masvaure and Tarisai Musakanda steadied the innings as they scored 43 runs and 37 runs respectively.
Jonathan Campbell top scored for Rhinos with 57 runs before he was caught off the bowling of Donald Tiripano to put Rhinos’ title hopes on the line. A late cameo of 44 runs off 26 deliveries not out from Mumba was not enough to see Rhinos through as they fell painfully close to winning the title.
Tinashe Muchawaya took two wickets for Mountaineers while Victor Nyauchi, Clive Chitumba, Tiripano and Vincent Masekesa had one wicket each to guide their team to victory in this season’s championship.
Meanwhile, in Bulawayo Tuskers suffered their fifth consecutive defeat of the season after losing by 30 runs against rivals, Alliance Health Eagles in a third place play-off match at Bulawayo Athletic Club on the same day.
Batting first, Eagles set the home team a target of 287 for the victory after being bowled out for 286 in 49.4 overs. Tinashe Kamhunukamwe top scored with 85 runs on the board while Tadiwanashe Marumani was second best on 51. Off spinner Nkosana Mpofu took three wickets for the home side while Panashe Maphosa, Ainsley Ndlovu and Charlton Tshuma had two each.
In their chase, Tafara Mupariwa missed out on a hundred by 15 runs as he fell for 85 off 100 deliveries.
Captain Ndlovu’s fighting 37 runs off 23 deliveries was not enough to see Tuskers claim third spot this season. The Bulawayo side had to settle for position four despite having a great start that saw them win their first four opening matches of the season. — Follow on Twitter @brandon_malvin
Bongani Ndlovu