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Eddie Chikamhi-Senior Sports Reporter
FORMER Zimbabwe international PJ Moor is enjoying his game with some crunch batting performances in the Domestic T20 tournament currently underway in Harare.
The wicketkeeper/batsman has been one of the outstanding players and is the tournament’s leading run-scorer after playing three games with Mountaineers.
The 32-year-old recently switched allegiance to Ireland, after having represented Zimbabwe 78 times by playing eight Tests, 49 ODIs and 21 T20Is.
He has not lost his touch with both bat and glove.
He scored back-to-back fifties in the opening two matches of the Domestic T20 tournament, plundering unbeaten 59 runs against Lions and then 89 against defending champions Eagles.
And by the time the tournament took a brief break on Wednesday, he was the leading scorer with 152 runs from 97 balls, at an average of 76.
He has scored 12 boundaries and nine sixes, the same as the second leading scorer Cephas Zhuwao of Rocks, ahead of the two teams’ clash at Old Hararians this afternoon.
They are the players to watch in this match, with Zhuwao, who last played in the national team back in 2018, also having thrilled the fans with some powerful hitting.
The Rocks opening batsman has been credited for the two wins his team has grabbed against Lions and Tuskers, after recovering from the defeat to Rhinos in the opening match.
He scored a quick-fire 53 from just 18 balls against Lions and then 67 from 37 against Tuskers. But he will be tested against the quality bowling of Donald Tiripano, currently the leading wicket taker with eight scalps from three games, Wellington Masakadza and Victor Nyauchi.
Gary Ballance has also done well with the bat for Rocks, so has Zimbabwe Under-19 batsman Brian Bennett and Tony Munyonga for Mountaineers.
Both teams have their eyes on the semi-finals after winning two games apiece and attainment eight points. In fact, all the four top teams are sitting on eight points each in this tight race for honours.
Log leaders Eagles face second-placed Rhinos in the first match of the day at the same venue, Old Hararians. The bottom two teams Lions and Tuskers have an opportunity to catch up with the rest of the pack when they face-off at Harare Sports Club at 9:30am.
Meanwhile, the women’s domestic season is set to get underway with back-to-back inter-provincial T20 and 50-over fixtures beginning today in Kwekwe.
Defending champions Eagles Women and Tuskers Women get the ball rolling at Goldridge College while Rhinos Women and Mega Market Mountaineers Women face off at Kwekwe Sports Club.
The same sides will meet in the one-day competition, the Fifty50 Challenge, at the same venues tomorrow.
Eagles Women are the holders of both trophies after achieving a clean sweep last season.
They were crowned the 2021/22 Fifty50 Challenge champions after Christabel Chatonzwa’s unbeaten century inspired them to a 167-run victory over Rhinos Women in the final played at Old Hararians Sports Club.
Then they completed the double by lifting the Women’s T20 Cup after Kellies Ndlovu came good with a well-paced innings of 46 not out that took her team to a seven-wicket victory over Mountaineers Women in the final played at Harare Sports Club.
Online Reporter