Tuskers – 257-2 in 90 overs (Brian Chari 88, Nkosana Mpofu 47, Awad Naqvi 46*; Faraz Akram 1/32, Alex Russell 1/65)
Eagles –
Day 1 – Stumps
It seemed the policy was to wear down the bowling and wait for the runs to come as in a full day’s play Tuskers scored only 257 runs, but against that they lost only two wickets.
They batted on winning the toss, and opened their innings with Nkosana Mpofu and Tanu Makoni.
Makoni played a good positive game in scoring 44 runs off 71 balls, overshadowing Mpofu in their opening partnership of 65 in 22 overs.
He was out lbw to Alex Russell not long before lunch, and Chari came in to join Mpofu.
Mpofu played a very dogged innings of 47, which took him 134 balls in more than three hours before he was eventually bowled by Faraz Akram at 114 for two.
Chari kept the score moving, showing how his batting has steadily matured as he built an innings, and it was unfortunate that he should have to retire hurt when he had made 88 off 159 balls.
He was partnered about this time by Awad Naqvi, who was playing a solid defensive game.
Naqvi batted through unbeaten to the close, when his score was 46, having taken 150 balls to date.
His partner is Milton Shumba, who played some good attacking strokes in scoring 20 not out.
Tapiwa Mufudza was the hardest-worked of the bowlers, sending down 29 overs during the day without claiming a wicket, but he has conceded only 48 runs with his accurate off-breaks.
Mountaineers – 400 all out in 88.5 overs (Wellington Masakadza 88, Donald Tiripano 77, Shingi Masakadza 47; Dom Bess 5/99, William Mashinge 1/29, Roy Kaia 1/34)
Southern Rocks –
Day 1 – Stumps
Good fifties from Donald Tiripano and Wellington Masakadza were the highlights of a more entertaining day’s play in the other Logan Cup match at Mutare Sports Club on Wednesday.
In contrast to the Tuskers batting against Eagles, Mountaineers played an aggressive game against Southern Rocks and finished the day with a total of exactly 400 runs.
Kevin Kasuza gave them a good start with a fluent 35 off 37 balls, putting on 62 for the first wicket with Joylord Gumbie at a rate of five an over.
There was a temporary glitch as the first four batters were all dismissed with 97 on the board, but then Tariro Makauyo, on his first-class début, teamed up with Tiripano and got things going again with a lively 81-run partnership for the fifth wicket.
Makauyo went for 38, but was replaced by the powerful hitter Shingi Masakadza, who obliged his team with 47 runs off 47 balls.
Tiripano played a steadier innings to make eventually 77 off 142 balls, but the most remarkable effort perhaps came from the captain, Wellington Masakadza.
Wellington has a reputation as more of a solid batter than a hitter, but the opening day saw him throw aside his inhibitions and play an even more aggressive innings than Shingi, racing to his highest first-class score of 88 off only 75 balls, in the process hitting four sixes and nine fours.
He was bowled by William Mashinge not far short of what would have been a wonderful maiden century.
Vincent Masekesa brought the day to an end with his innings of 30, being last out just before the close, with Mountaineers in a strong position.
The most successful Rocks bowler was the England off-spinner Dom Bess, who took five wickets for 99 runs.
