Online Reporter
Zimpapers Sports Hub
A CENTURY from Innocent Kaia and a three-for from Shelton Mazvitorera helped Southern Rocks secure their second domestic cricket title of the season.
The Southern Rocks yesterday capped off their dominant season when they beat Mountaineers by eight wickets to claim the Pro50 Championship at Masvingo Sports Club.
It was their second title of the 2025/2026 season after the Masvingo-based outfit claimed the coveted Logan Cup crown a fortnight ago.
The hosts won the toss, electing to field, after which they bundled out Mountaineers for 230 runs.
Joylord Gumbie was the backbone of the Mountaineers innings as his 51 runs off 110 balls helped the Mutare-based franchise put some runs on the board and give themselves a fighting chance.
He featured in two crucial partnerships at the top of Mountaineers innings, an opening stand of 46 runs off 42 balls with Alistar Frost and a second-wicket partnership with Nicholas Welch that saw the pair pile on an identical 46 runs off 92 balls.
However, the middle order and tail failed to utilise the start that Gumbie helped build as wickets fell at regular intervals, with the duo of Shelton Mazvitorera and Matthew Campbell doing most of the damage for Southern Rocks.
The duo finished as the pick of the bowlers for Southern Rocks, taking three wickets each for 31 and 34 runs, respectively.
They found assistance from their fellow bowlers, with Roy Kaia chipping in with two scalps, while Jonathan Campbell and Newman Nyamhuri took a wicket each.
Gumbie top-scored for Mountaineers with his half-century, while Frost and Welch chipped in with 25 runs off 22 balls and 23 off 34 balls, respectively.
Spencer Magodo had a short cameo at the death, with his 34 runs off 35 balls helping Mountaineers’ 230 runs.
Southern Rocks’ response was firm and dominant, with Innocent Kaia’s unbeaten century marking the hosts’ dominance.
The opening pair of Matthew Campbell and Innocent Kaia put 148 runs off 160 balls for the first wicket.
The pair did most of the donkey work for the hosts on their way to half-centuries before Campbell departed when he was caught by Nicholas Welch off the bowling of Prosper Mugeri for his 67 runs off 79 balls.
This brought in Panashe Taruvinga, who joined Innocent Kaia at the crease, after which the two added another 42 runs before Alistar Frost got the breakthrough for Mountaineers.
Frost had Taruvinga caught at mid-off by Ronak Patel for his 22 runs off 34 balls.
However, the damage had already been done as Southern Rocks were 190 for two and already cruising to victory.
The Kaia brothers, Innocent and Roy, safely guided Southern Rocks across the finish line, with the duo adding the remaining 42 runs.
Innocent Kaia top-scored for Southern Rocks with an unbeaten 112 off 113 balls, while Matthew Campbell chipped in with his 67 off 79 balls.
Skipper Roy Kaia finished with an unbeaten 21 runs off 18 balls during his short cameo.
The Mountaineers’ bowlers toiled all day, with only Mugeri and Alistar finding any sort of breakthrough.
They each finished with one wicket apiece, with Mugeri taking one for 42 runs, while Frost had one for 30 runs.
Bongani Ndlovu