Tuskers – 122 all out in 42.4 overs (Adrian Mupembe 26, Aliakbar Hamid 23, Bright Phiri 23; Alex Russell 5/38, Hamza Sajjad 2/15, Tapiwa Mufudza 2/30)
Eagles – 18-0 in 5 overs (Matthew Welch 15*, Larvet Masunda 2*)
Leg-spinner Alex Russell had another good day for Eagles, taking five wickets for only 38 runs as they bowled out Tuskers for 122 in their Logan Cup match at Old Hararians Sports Club on Wednesday.
The start was delayed owing to morning rain, and when they won the toss Eagles put Tuskers in to bat.
Facing a bowling attack headed by Hamza Sajjad, Tuskers never really got their innings going well.
Sajjad soon bowled Tanu Makoni for five, while his opening partner Nkosana Mpofu struggled for 41 balls to score seven runs.
Three wickets were down for 32 when the first real partnership began, Bright Phiri (23) and Tafara Mupariwa (16) putting on 31 for the fourth wicket before both were out in quick succession.
The only other stand of note was one of 43 for the seventh wicket, between Aliakbar Hamid with 23 and the latest Tuskers wicket-keeper, Adrian Mupembe, with 26 and the highest scorer of the innings.
Then Russell claimed the last four wickets in succession, as 113 at one stage became 122 all out – he actually took the final three wickets in four balls without a run being added.
In their differing ways, the Eagles openers saw out the day’s play: Larvet Masunda made two runs off 17 balls and Matthew Welch 15 off 13 balls, and the score was 18 for no wicket.
Unfortunately, there was no play due to the wet conditions at Takashinga Cricket Club, where the two top teams on the Logan Cup table, Mega Market Mountaineers and Southern Rocks, are due to meet.
