Southern Rocks – 384 all out in 94.3 overs (Saifuddin Zaib 78, Roy Kaia 64, Matthew Campbell 63; Trevor Mutsamba 3/52, Munashe Chipara 3/55, Wallace Mubayiwa 2/55)
Eagles – 298-9 in 66 overs (Tinashe Kamunhukamwe 124, Rodney Mupfudza 51, Faraz Akram 46*; Priviledge Chesa 4/76, Takudzwa Chataira 3/74, William Mashinge 1/35)
A brilliant innings of 124 by Tinashe Kamunhukamwe for Eagles threatened to seize the initiative that Southern Rocks had gained on day one of their Logan Cup match at Takashinga Cricket Club, only for a failure by their middle order to allow the visitors to regain the advantage before the close.
It was a day of fluctuating fortunes.
Overnight, Rocks had put themselves in a good position with a score of 354 for five wickets, with Saifuddin Zaib and Alvin Chiradza batting on 60 and 56 respectively.
However, Chiradza was quickly out without adding to his score, and Zaib finally went for 78, both dismissed by Munashe Chipara.
Trevor Mutsamba bundled out the tail cheaply, taking three wickets for 52 runs altogether, and Rocks did not even reach 400, Zaib being last man out with the total at 384.
Chipara also took three wickets, which cost him 55 runs.
Eagles soon looked fit to threaten the Rocks score, as their first wicket fell at 104 and their second at 208.
Kamunhukamwe scored 124 of these with his dashing innings, well partnered first by Kudzai Maunze with 35 and then Rodney Mupfudza with 51.
Kamunhukamwe hit four sixes and 18 fours, and when he left at 208 he no doubt felt he had given his team a wonderful platform.
However, only Faraz Akram of the remaining batters in the order could reach double figures as wickets went down steadily, mainly to Takudzwa Chataira and Priviledge Chesa.
Akram was unbeaten with 46 with the last man at the crease when bad light brought play to a premature end with the score 298 for nine wickets.
Tuskers – 203 and 199-5 in 49.3 overs (Sean Williams 67, Tafara Mupariwa 57, Brian Chari 27; Brandon Mavuta 3/65, Mike Chinouya 2/33)
Rhinos – 301 all out in 69.3 overs (Ben Curran 145, Takudzwanashe Kaitano 52, Ahsan Aqil Ali 16; Ernest Masuku 4/73, Ainsley Ndlovu 3/59, Luke Jongwe 2/60)
Day 2 – Stumps: Tuskers lead by 101 runs
Despite fifties from Tafara Mupariwa and Sean Williams, Tuskers finished the second day of their Logan Cup match against Rhinos at Kwekwe Sports Club in some difficulty, being 101 runs on in their second innings with their top five batters out.
Rhinos began the day in a good position on 183 for three wickets, after they had bowled Tuskers out for 203.
However, they wasted a great opportunity to build a match-winning score as their middle order failed to build on this advantage.
Ben Curran was not guilty of the charge, as he took his overnight score of 107 to 145, the highest of his career, before he was caught at the wicket off Luke Jongwe after facing 190 balls and hitting a six and 21 fours.
Of the last nine batters in the Rhinos team, the highest scorer was Ahsan Ali Aqil with 16, and only the last pair took the score beyond 300 after such a fine start.
Ernest Masuku, who took the last three wickets, finished with four off 73, while Ainsley Ndlovu took three for 59, as Rhinos had to settle for a first-innings lead of 98.
Mike Chinouya struck back with the ball when Tuskers went in again, removing both openers for 12 runs.
Mupariwa stood firm to score 57, though, while Williams hit boldly to score 67 off 61 balls before he was out just before the close, being one of Brandon Mavuta’s three victims.
Tuskers finished the day on 199 for five wickets, and the advantage still seems to lie with Rhinos.
