Burl’s century buoys Rising Stars
A DETERMINED century by Ryan Burl gave the Rising Stars a first-innings lead of 108 runs against Harare Metropolitan Eagles at Takashinga Sports Club yesterday.
By the close of play, Eagles had knocked off 29 of the arrears, but are being given a tough fight by the youngsters in this exciting Logan Cup match. Rising Stars resumed at their overnight score of 52 for one wicket, with their batsmen Tafadzwa Tsiga and Tarisai Musakanda both on 20.
Harare Metropolitan Eagles missed a chance in the first over of the day when Tsiga edged a ball from Garwe low into the slips.
After that, the pair batted with increasing confidence, playing their shots well against all the bowlers, and brought up the hundred within an hour.
Musakanda was first to his 50, reached with an off-drive for four off Tafadzwa Muzarawetu, off 85 balls.
Tsiga followed on the other side of the drinks interval, a leg-side four bringing him his 50 off 92 balls just after the century partnership was posted.
Two overs later, however, Muzarawetu finally broke through by bowling him for 54, scored off 96 balls and after a partnership of 112.
Musakanda followed two runs later for 61; he edged a ball from Tino Mutombodzi to the wicket-keeper, Joylord Gumbie, the ball bounced off the gloves and he dived to catch the rebound.
Two new batsmen were now together in Tony Munyonga and Ryan Burl.
They survived until lunch, when the score was 136 for three, with the batsmen on seven and one respectively.
Burl settled in, helped by a couple of friendly full tosses from Mutombodzi that he put away for four, but Munyonga never got going.
He scored 13 off 50 balls without a single boundary before he tried a big hit against Tapiwa Mufudza and skyed a catch, leaving Stars at 169 for four.
Thamsanqa Nunu, on his first-class début, made a brisk start, scoring 11 runs in three scoring strokes off his first eight balls.
Then he cooled down and settled into a steady partnership with Burl, who completed a sound 50 off 76 balls.
Stars took the lead just before tea, when they were in a potentially strong position at 239 for four; Burl had 63 and Nunu 34.
They continued to bat well in the final session, passing the century partnership, and Burl moved smoothly to his second career century, which came off 123 balls.
In Mutare, Prince Masvaure and Bothwell Chapungu shared a 140-run opening stand that thrust Midlands Rhinos firmly into the driver’s seat of their Logan Cup match against defending champions Manicaland Mountaineers. — Zimcricket.