Nobody would have guessed that the star performance of the first day’s play in this Logan Cup match at Kwekwe Sports Club would be a seven-wicket haul by Midlands Rhinos’ dynamic opening batsman and occasional off-spinner Bothwell Chapungu.
He took seven wickets for 78 runs, but would surely admit himself that he owed much to the poor batting of many of the Harare Metropolitan Eagles players, who might well have been found guilty of batting without due care and attention.
The ground at Kwekwe Sports Club was in prime condition for this match – it was a hot sunny day, and so it was only natural that Eagles should decide to bat on winning the toss.
Rhinos were again severely depleted for this match, missing eight first-choice players from the national or Zimbabwe A teams, while Eagles were without only Chamu Chibhabha and Taurai Muzarabani, the latter being injured.
Mike Chinouya worked up a good pace at the start and almost had the Eagles opener, Joylord Gumbie, caught at short leg in his first over.
Gumbie soon settled in, though, and in Chinouya’s next over pulled him for two impressive fours.
Cephas Zhuwao excited the fielders with two fours in Tafara Chingwara’s first over, and in his second a huge skyer over mid-on that the fielder could not quite reach.
Thirty-two runs came off the first five overs as both batsmen attacked with fervour, and the fifty came up in the ninth over.
The bowlers struggled to pull it back, but finally Trevor Gwandu broke through for his team, as Zhuwao chopped an off ball on to his stumps for 41 off 39 balls, and the score was 73 for one in the 15th over.
Gumbie continued to bat well for a while before he drove uppishly into the covers and was caught off the bowling of James Bruce for 35; 90 for two.
At lunch the score had reached 104 for two wickets, with Kudzai Maunze on 19 and Regis Chakabva on six.
There was a useful partnership of 39 between the pair until Maunze tried to pull a ball from Chapungu, bowling his first over, and was given out lbw for 30; 129 for three.
Chapungu struck again in his next over, with Chakabva making a similar stroke, with the same error, expecting the ball to bounce higher, and he was bowled for 25; 136 for four.
There followed another useful partnership of 41 between Tino Mutombodzi and Elton Chigumbura, which was again ended by Chapungu, who had Chigumbura caught at the wicket for 24; 177 for five.
Mutombodzi was looking in his best form, driving with effortless power and scoring at a good rate without seeming to raise a sweat, but a little carelessness cost him his wicket, as he drove a ball from Chapungu low into the covers but straight to the fielder there, departing for 34 with the score 204 for six.
By tea Eagles had slumped to 207 for six wickets, with Nathan Waller on eight and Trevor Garwe yet to score — of the six wickets that fell, Chapungu had taken four and caught a fifth.
He was, however, rather flattered by his figures, as he bowled a number of bad deliveries, especially on the leg side, that were not punished, and the slow pitch caused some of the batsmen to play their strokes too early.
It was not a good position for Eagles, and after tea Waller and Garwe, batting with uncharacteristic restraint, took great care in rebuilding; after all, they now get a bonus point if they can total 300.
Waller’s responsible batting earned him a fifty off 78 balls, but then, on 58, he paid the penalty of underestimating Chapungu, who returned for his second spell; Waller went for a big hit to leg and was bowled.
The pair had added 80, the highest partnership of the innings, and Eagles were now 284 for seven.
Without addition Garwe was dropped off a difficult chance to the wicket-keeper off the occasional off-spin of Tendai Maruma.
Garwe took a single, faced Chapungu and promptly drove a return catch that the bowler dived to take, removing him for 29 and leaving the last two wickets another 15 runs to make to reach 300.
Only two of those had been added, though, when Tanyaradzwa Munyaradzi let fly at a yorker from Chapungu and was bowled for one.
Cuthbert Musoko and Herbert Chikomba did their best, facing the second new ball and reaching 298 before getting stuck on that score.
They spent 31 balls there before Chikomba finally put a ball from Chinouya through the covers to the boundary and the bonus point was achieved.
Musoko then threw caution to the wind and hit out at Chingwara, hammering three fours in his next over, including a thick edge over the slips.
The last wicket was still standing at the close, when the score was 316 for nine; Musoko had 23 and Chikomba six.
This may turn out to be a good score for the visitors, as the pitch is cracking up under the hot sun and may become more difficult for batting as the match progresses.
