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Eddie Chikamhi Senior Sports Reporter
IT turned out to be a perfect outing for Mountaineers after both their men and women’s sides got their Domestic Twenty 20 cricket campaigns to a winning start on the first day of the cricket jamboree that begun in Harare yesterday.
The Mountaineers men’s team put the icing on the cake with a fiery bowling performance in an afternoon game that ended in a six-wicket victory over Alliance Health Eagles in the Domestic Twenty20 competition at Harare Sports Club.
Earlier in the morning, Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano had shone with the bat when Mountaineers beat Rhinos at Takashinga Sports Club in Highfield by nine wickets in the Women’s T20 Cup.
Having won the toss and elected to field, their game plan was successful as they reduced their opponents to 79/8 in their 20 overs.
They then made light work with the bat after racing to 80/1 in just 13.4 overs. Mugeri-Tiripano duly took the Player of the Match award with an unbeaten half century.
She hit 55 runs from 49 balls. Her knock included 10 fours.
Then the ball did all the damage for the men’s side in the afternoon as Mountaineers had Eagles 93 all out in 14.4 overs. Debutant John Masara was Man of the Match with his 3-22. There were also two wickets each for Shingi Masakadza, Wellington Masakadza and Victor Nyauchi.
This was despite a defiant 35 (from21 balls) from Eagles skipper Chamu Chibhabha and a 34 (from 16 balls) in the lower middle order by 19-year-old debutant Aishah Chibanda.
Mountaineers reached the target without really breaking a sweat when they eased to 94/4 with five overs remaining, thanks to PJ Moor’s 30 runs and an unbeaten 28 from Tony Munyonga.
Rhinos also made a winning start in the men’s competition after upstaging defending champions Tuskers by six wickets. Ryan Burl provided a huge spectacle in the afternoon game with a blistering knock of 57 runs from 32 balls as the Midlands side successfully chased down Tuskers competitive total of 158/3.
Burl deservedly walked away with the Man of the Match award after hitting six sixes and a four to help Rhinos comfortably dock at 161/4, with 15 balls remaining. At some point, they needed 51 runs from the last five overs.
But Burl opened up in the 17th over, in which he plundered 27 runs from Ainsley Ndlovu, before wrapping up the game the following over after blasting two more sixes from the first three balls.
In the women’s game, Kellies Ndlovu of Alliance Health Eagles provided her own show in the morning game which the defending champions won by 94 runs against Tuskers Women at Harare Sports Club.
Ndlovu scored an unbeaten 91 after Tuskers had won the toss and put them in to bat first. Eagles amassed 170/3 in their 20 overs, with Ndlovu hitting an incredible 11 fours and three sixes. She needed only 49 balls to reach 91 runs.
Tuskers could only manage 76 runs for the loss of eight wickets in response. Mitchell Mavunga was the chief destroyer after getting the first five-for of the tournament. She took 5-12, with teammate Esther Mbofana taking 2-22 for Eagles.
A packed schedule is on the offing again today with four games expected at the two venues in both the men’s and women’s games.
The Domestic T20 tournament will be played every day, except for this Saturday, until the finals next Thursday. Zimbabwe Cricket have opened the gates free of charge for all cricket fans who are fully vaccinated.
RESULTS:
Women:
Alliance Health Eagles Women beat Tuskers Women by 94 runs
Alliance Health Eagles Women – 170/3 in 20 overs (Kellies Ndlovu 91*, Beloved Biza 28; Phillanthropic Shango 1/24, Loreen Tshuma 1/28)
Tuskers Women – 76/8 in 20 overs (Tasmeen Granger 34, Chiedza Dhururu 12; Mitchell Mavunga 5-12, Esther Mbofana 2-22)
Mountaineers Women beat Rhinos Women by nine wickets
Rhinos Women – 79/8 in 20 overs (Kelly Ndiraya 22*, Ashley Ndiraya 18; Nyasha Gwanzura 2-15, Audrey Mazvishaya 1-10)
Mountaineers Women 80/1 in 13.4 overs – Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano 55*, Pellagia Mujaji 6*; Ashley Ndiraya 1-9)
Men
Mountaineers beat Health Alliance Eagles by six wickets
Alliance Health Eagles – 93 all out in 14.4 overs (Chibhabha 35, Chibanda 34; Masara 3-22, S. Masakadza 2-16)
Mountaineers – 94/4 in 15 overs (Moor 30, Munyonga 28, Ngarava 2-22, Mufudza 1-16)
Rhinos beat Tuskers by six wickets
Tuskers – 158/3 (M. Shumba 67*, Clive Madande 55; Ryan Burl 1-19, Chris Mpofu 1-23)
Rhinos – 161/4 (Ryan Burl 57*, Prince Masvaure 48; Steve Chimhamhiwa 1-18, Sheunopa Musekwa 1-18)
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