Eagles – 252-9 declared and 35-4 in 10.2 overs (Tinashe Kamunhukamwe 16, Craig Ervine 8*, Nick Welch 6; Muhammad Adil 2/22, Neville Madziva 1/11, Tafara Chingwara 1/1)
Rhinos – 152 all out in 52.5 overs (Nyasha Mayavo 43, Ben Curran 26, Takudzwanashe Kaitano 26; Tapiwa Mufudza 6/41, Hamza Sajjad 3/32, Alex Russell 1/60)
Day 2 – Stumps: Eagles lead by 135 runs
Another fine bowling performance by the off-spinner Tapiwa Mufudza gave Eagles a good first-innings lead over Rhinos in their Logan Cup fixture at Takashinga Cricket Club on Friday, only for their batters to put it in danger with a collapse during the last hour of play.
The start was delayed in the morning until the ground had dried after the previous day’s rain, and Eagles decided to declare at their overnight score of 252 for nine wickets and hope their bowlers could get some help from the conditions.
Rhinos had no worries to start with, as Takudzwanashe Kaitano and Ben Curran opened with a partnership of 46, both of them scoring 26 runs and both being out lbw to Mufudza.
The first four batters in fact all scored between 15 and 26 runs, making a useful start to their innings but failing to carry it through.
The one batter to do better was Nyasha Mayavo, who scored 43 off 61 balls and valiantly tried to hold the middle order together as they slumped to the bowling of Mufudza – who eventually took a return catch to remove Mayavo at 145 for eight.
The final total was 152, a deficit of exactly 100 on the first innings, and Mufudza returned the fine figures of six wickets for 41 off 16.5 overs.
Instead of building on their big lead, the Eagles top order slumped to the Rhinos bowlers and lost four wickets for 35 runs before the close, three different bowlers taking the wickets.
Tinashe Kamunhukamwe was the only one to reach double figures, out for 16, while Nick Welch went for six and Kudzai Maunze for three.
Fortunately for Eagles, Craig Ervine is still there with eight not out, and much will depend on him on day three.
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Tuskers – 500-9 declared in 150 overs (Aliakbar Hamid 130, Tanu Makoni 118, Clive Madande 93; Johnathan Campbell 3/64, Roy Kaia 2/46, Jalat Khan 2/98)
Southern Rocks – 157-1 in 29 overs (Eddie Byrom 83*, Dom Bess 37*, Roy Kaia 35; Ernest Masuku 1/16)
Day 2 – Stumps: Southern Rocks trail by 343 runs
Centuries from Aliakbar Hamid and Tanu Makoni helped Tuskers to reach the daunting score of 500 runs against Southern Rocks in their Logan Cup at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo on Friday.
Rocks in turn made a promising reply and finished the day on 157 for one.
Tuskers had resumed in the morning with their score at 312 for four, of which Clive Madande had scored 93 and Hamid 73.
Madande was unfortunately out to the first ball he faced in the morning, caught off Tendai Chisoro, having faced 117 balls altogether, hitting one six and 10 fours.
This brought in Makoni, who was fit to bat again after retiring hurt on 57 on Thursday.
Hamid made no mistake about his century, and with steady batting he took his score to 130 before being caught at the wicket off Roy Kaia, having faced 214 balls altogether and hitting 13 of them to the boundary.
He put on 84 with Makoni, who then enjoyed a partnership of 70 with Ainsley Ndlovu, who hit freely to score 50 off 74 balls.
Makoni by now had reached his second century in first-class cricket, and took it to 118 before he was caught off Johnathan Campbell at 499 for nine – he faced 328 balls, a solid anchor innings, and hit a six and 11 fours.
Tuskers scored one more run to reach 500 for nine wickets, and then declared.
Campbell finished with the best bowling figures of three for 64, with the less fortunate Tendai Chisoro bowling steadily and well for 41 overs to take a single wicket for 115.
Rocks were not dispirited and made a good positive reply, their opening pair taking the score to 92 in the 17th over before Kaia was out lbw to Ernest Masuku for 35.
His partner Eddie Byrom played a fine fluent innings and by the close had scored 83 not out off only 82 balls, while his fellow English professional Dom Bess had 37.
