Online Reporter
Brandon Moyo, [email protected]
TUSKERS’ first win of the 2024/25 Logan Cup season came at a crucial time for the Bulawayo side as they aim to move off the bottom of the standings with just one game left in the campaign.
The Bulawayo team performed well with both bat and ball, finally securing a win after a string of three losses and as many draws in their first six matches. They triumphed over Mountaineers by eight wickets at Queens Sports Club on Monday.
However, despite the victory, they remain rooted at the bottom of the table, with 71 points from seven outings. They are 12 points behind fourth-placed Southern Rocks, who have accumulated 83 points but are still without a win.
In their home fixture against Mountaineers, Tuskers won the toss and elected to field first, managing to restrict the visitors to 308 all out. They then responded with 422 runs, establishing a 114-run lead going into the second innings.
Skipper Tafara Mupariwa notched up his second First-Class century before being dismissed for 102 in the first innings. There were also half-centuries from Tanunurwa Makoni (68), Luke Jongwe (63), Will Fraine (58), and Brian Chari (52).
Victor Nyauchi and Vincent Masekesa each took three wickets for Mountaineers.
At stumps on day three, Tuskers were in control of the match, with Mountaineers on 67/2, still trailing by 47 runs. Joylord Gumbie and Nick Welch were both dismissed by Ernest Masuku.
Tuskers wrapped up Mountaineers’ innings with plenty of time left in the day, bowling them out for 241 runs in 69.4 overs. The target for Tuskers was a modest 128 runs.
Masuku, who was recently named in the Zimbabwe A squad to face Canada, finished with figures of 4/77 in 20 overs, while Nkosana Mpofu and Hamid Ali each claimed two wickets. Mgcini Dube and Tanatswa Bechani also contributed with wickets for the Bulawayo side. Clive Chitumba top-scored for Mountaineers in the second innings, making 53 runs off 69 balls.
The opening pair of Makoni and Mpofu led Tuskers to a comfortable chase. The duo put on an 89-run opening partnership before Mpofu was dismissed for 50, trapped in front by Masekesa.
Mupariwa, after his century in the first innings, was unfortunately dismissed lbw just two balls later, but Brian Chari batted aggressively, scoring 30 not out off 18 balls to guide Tuskers over the line. Makoni remained unbeaten on 45 runs, steering Tuskers to victory.
Mountaineers sit second on the Logan Cup table and will need to earn 14 points in their final match to catch log leaders, Rhinos.
Meanwhile, Ben Curran and Prince Masvaure shared an unbroken third-wicket partnership of 113 to secure Rhinos a straightforward eight-wicket victory over Southern Rocks at Kwekwe Sports Club on Monday.
Rhinos began the day at 87 for one wicket, requiring 203 runs to win the match. They soon lost the wicket of night-watchman Henry Brookes, who was dismissed lbw to William Mashinge for six, leaving the score at 92.
After that, Curran and Masvaure scored freely, taking the Rhinos to victory with little trouble. Masvaure finished unbeaten on 50, while Mashinge denied Curran the chance of scoring a century by bowling a five-wide past the wicketkeeper to the boundary, thus ending the match.
Rhinos completed their eight-match programME, sitting atop the Logan Cup table with 130 points, 14 points ahead of Mountaineers.
The final round of Logan Cup fixtures will see the Mountaineers host the third-placed Eagles at Mutare Sports Club while the Tuskers will face Southern Rocks at home.
The matches are set to begin on March 5. — @brandon_malvin
