adminTHE scorecard shows an innings of 55 not out by the debutant Rodney Mupfudza as the main contributor to a thrilling two-wicket victory by Eagles over Tuskers, against all the odds, at Harare Sports Club yesterday.
Mupfudza showed admirable composure, and some good strokes in his innings, as well as excellent temperament as he completed the chase to victory, giving Eagles, a fifth victory in five matches in this Logan Cup competition.
But Tuskers will be cursing themselves for the dismal performance of their slip fielders, who missed one chance after another as Mupfudza and his main partner, Faraz Akram, who scored 35, settled in during the morning.
Tuskers will also rue their dismal first-innings score of 79 all out, that badly wasted a first-innings lead of 95 in a match where the highest innings total was their own first innings of 214.
They had a golden opportunity to hand a much weakened Eagles team their first defeat of the season, and they threw it away in the most amazing fashion.
Eagles began the day with the score of 71 for five wickets, chasing a target of 175; Akram was on eight and Tapiwa Mufudza eight.
In the first over of day, from Sheunopa Musekwa, Mufudza scored a two, and it would have been wiser for him to hold his end up and let Akram as the better batsman lead the way.
However, off the final delivery of the first over he went on an ambitious drive and skyed a catch to mid-off, leaving the score 73 for six.
This brought in Kudzai Maunze, the acting captain and only experienced batsman of the side, who had been unable to bat on the previous day owing to a leg injury, and still walking and running with difficulty.
His leg did not get too much exercise, though: he popped a two over midwicket in an over from Musekwa, edged a four that was almost a chance between the legs of first slip, and then edged a catch to the keeper to be out for six.
At 80 for seven, Mupfudza, who had retired hurt with 12, now resumed his innings, and this pair appeared to be Eagles’ final forlorn hope.
The score kept moving, although the slips were kept busy with one edge after another coming their way and often being missed — a poor showing from them.
Akram on 12 was twice missed again in the slips off successive balls, the second chance going through to the boundary to bring up the team hundred.
The keeper then joined the slips in missing a chance, as Akram reached the other end and edged a ball to him.
Runs began to come more readily now, as the batsmen began to find the middle of the bat and so gave the slip fielders less chance to show their poor form.
At Old Hararians, Rhinos barely broke a sweat as they condemned Rangers to an innings defeat in the other Logan Cup match.
The day started off with Rangers resuming at their overnight score of 133 for seven but they only added 13 runs in nine overs before they were dismissed, leaving them trailing Rhinos’ first-innings total by 260 runs.
Rhinos enforced the follow-on but Rangers crumbled for 89 within 29 overs, succumbing to a heavy defeat by an innings and 171 runs.
Scores
Tuskers – 214 and 79 in 33.4 overs (Nkosana Mpofu 23, Brian Chari 16, Ernest Masuku 12; Tapiwa Mufudza 4/18, Cuthbert Musoko 2/10, Patrick Mambo 2/11)
Eagles – 119 and 177-8 in 71.2 overs (Rodney Mupfudza 55*, Faraz Akram 35, Keith Jaure 21*; Luke Jongwe 3/26, Sheunopa Musekwa 3/31, Milton Shumba 1/19)
Eagles won by two wickets
Online Reporter