Rhinos – 234-6 in 39.3 overs (Ben Curran 66, Prince Masvaure 51, Bright Matsiwe 47; Roy Kaia 2/61, Jalat Khan 1/24, Tendai Chisoro 1/31)
Southern Rocks – 153 all out in 22.1 overs (target: 212 in /28.2 overs) (Roy Kaia 28, Johnathan Campbell 25, William Mashinge 17; Muhammad Adil 3/20, Prince Masvaure 2/20, Simon Mugava 2/24)
Rhinos won by 58 runs (Duckworth-Lewis method)
This was a vital match for the teams, tied on eight points each at the start of play, as the winner would qualify for the tournament final against Eagles.
Rhinos were asked to bat and their top order put in a good, consistent performance.
Takudzwanashe Kaitano briefly shone with three fours and 16 runs off 12 balls, but was caught off Jalat Khan in the fourth over.
His opening partner Bright Matsiwe also played fluently to make 47 off 58 balls before being out at 90 for two.
Curran at the other end enjoyed a good steady innings of 66, keeping the score ticking over all the time, and his third-wicket stand with Masvaure added 92 in 16 overs.
Masvaure was fluent as he too scored a fifty, his 51 coming off only 50 deliveries.
Nyasha Mayavo made 22 off 17 balls, but just as he was out the rain arrived and players had to leave the field.
At this point Brandon Mavuta was not out with 15 and Rhinos were well-placed with 234 for six wickets in 39.3 overs, the only unfortunate factor being that all their main batters had gone out.
However, it was to make no difference, as after a long rain break the Rhinos innings was closed at that score and the Duckworth-Lewis calculation set Rocks a target of 212 in 28 overs.
Although Roy Kaia scored 28 off 22 balls as all the batters went out to hit, Rocks could find nobody to play the major devastating innings their team needed, and as the light faded, so did their hopes.
Johnathan Campbell did his best with 25 off 19 balls, but the situation became hopeless and the innings ended in the 23rd over at 153 all out.
The most successful bowler was Muhammad Adil, with three wickets for 20 runs.
Tuskers – 259-5 in 50 overs (Nkosana Mpofu 110, Awad Naqvi 65, Milton Shumba 46*; John Masara 3/45, Salman Mirza 1/35, Brian Bennett 1/59)
Mountaineers – 262-6 in 39.5 overs (Tony Munyonga 153*, Spencer Magodo 34, Tinashe Chiorah 18; Mamoon Riaz 2/18, Brandon James 2/32, Brian Chari 1/14)
Mountaineers won by four wickets
A magnificent innings of 153 not out by Tony Munyonga enabled Mountaineers to canter to a four-wicket victory over Tuskers in their Pro50 Championship match at Queens Sports Club on Sunday.
Tuskers would normally be delighted that, after Mountaineers had put them in to bat, their opening pair should put on 169 for the first wicket, but in this case the disadvantage was that it took up almost 40 overs in the making.
Awad Naqvi scored 65 of the runs, but it took him 110 balls to do so, while Nkosana Mpofu was rather faster in going on to reach his century before being out for 110 off 139 balls.
Naqvi’s innings in particular put great pressure on the incoming batters, who had to hit out recklessly in an attempt to put a sizeable score on the board before the 50 overs expired.
Milton Shumba was the only one able to do much, and he finished with an admirable 46 not out off 30 balls.
The final total was a far from safe 259 for five wickets, which kept Mountaineers very much in the game.
John Masara had the best bowling figures of three for 45 off nine overs, while the opening bowler Salman Mirza was the most economical, taking one for only 35 runs off his nine overs.
Joylord Gumbie (18) and Spencer Magodo (34) gave Mountaineers a brisk start with an opening stand of 50 within nine overs, and this brought Munyonga to the crease.
After Magodo left at 63, no other batter reached 20, but they were scarcely needed, as Munyonga created virtually a one-man show with one of his finest innings.
He tore into the bowling from the start, reaching his 50 off only 30 balls and his century off 66.
Six wickets were down for 213, but Prosper Mugeri needed to score only three not out, as Munyonga swept up the rest, finishing the match with three sixes and a four in five balls from Shumba.
His 153 took only 104 balls and he hit 11 sixes and eight fours in a brilliant and masterly innings.
PRO50 CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS TABLE
| TEAM | M | W | L | T | NR | PTS | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eagles | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0.687 |
| Rhinos | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0.376 |
| Rocks | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0.370 |
| Mountaineers | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 6 | -0.895 |
| Tuskers | 8 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -0.568 |
