Online Reporter
A fluent half-century from Lennox Chando proved the decisive contribution in a rain-affected Domestic T20 match at Kwekwe Sports Club on Wednesday morning, as Southern Rocks were adjudged four-run winners over Mountaineers under the Duckworth-Lewis system.
Chando and Ashley Mufandauya provided Rocks with a solid platform after being sent in to bat, compiling an opening stand of 81 in just under 12 overs.
Mufandauya was the first to depart for a brisk 26, while Chando followed soon after, having anchored the innings with a well-crafted 50 off 44 deliveries.
With the foundation laid, the Rocks middle order opted for aggression, looking to accelerate the scoring rate but doing so at the cost of regular wickets.
Innocent Kaia was the most productive of the remaining batters, contributing 24 from 24 balls, while no other player reached 15.
The innings closed at 137 for five, with Mountaineers sharing the wickets evenly as five bowlers claimed one apiece.
Mountaineers’ reply never gained similar momentum.
They were set back early by the loss of both openers inside the first seven overs, leaving them 34 for two.
Brian Bennett and Nick Welch then began the task of recovery, adding 15 runs in 16 balls to steady the innings.
However, with lightning looming over the ground, the umpires deemed conditions unsafe and took the players off the field.
Play did not resume, as rain followed soon after, bringing a premature end to the contest.
At the stoppage, Mountaineers were 50 for two, with Bennett unbeaten on 22 and Welch on seven, a position that left them four runs short of the revised target.
Persistent rain throughout the day meant no further cricket was possible at the venue, with the afternoon fixture between Eagles and Rhinos abandoned without a ball being bowled.
Brief Score
Southern Rocks − 137-5 in 20 overs (Lennox Chando 50, Ashley Mufandauya 26, Innocent Kaia 24; Brian Bennett 1/10, Prosper Mugeri 1/20, Michael Frost 1/23)
Mountaineers − 50-2 in 8.5 overs (Brian Bennett 22*, Joylord Gumbie 11, Tinashe Chiorah 9; Owen Muzondo 1/11, Arineshto Vezha 1/11)
Result: Southern Rocks won by four runs (Duckworth-Lewis method)
derick.khumalo