Rising stars defy odds
YOUTH triumphed over experience at Takashinga Sports Club on Saturday in the Pro50 Championship final, as Rising Stars soundly defeated the powerful Manicaland Mountaineers team by 144 runs.
Four of their batsmen passed 40 to give them a good total, with the fifthwicket partnership between Ryan Burl and Tony Munyonga critical, and then Brandon Mavuta ripped through the Mountaineers middle order to send his team home with triumph.
Mavuta’s figures of eight wickets for 38 runs in only 8.1 overs is the best return ever by any Zimbabwean bowler in List A cricket.
Mountaineers won the toss and put the Stars in to bat.
In the second over Tinashe Kamunhukamwe pulled two sixes off the bowling of Donald Tiripano.
He hit two fours in Tiripano’s next over, but he was unable to do the same to Chatara, who bowled with superb accuracy.
Then the experienced Tiripano took his revenge before the situation went any further, having the Stars captain caught at the wicket off a big swing when he had scored 26 off 17 balls.
Stars were one down for 35 in the eighth over, with Tafadzwa Tsiga on nine.
Tarisai Musakanda aimed to bat in similar style to his captain.
The team hundred came up in the 22nd over, but at this point Tsiga was out for a most valuable 44, caught at short cover off the leg-spinner Natsai M’shangwe, who followed this up by bowling Taffy Mupariwa for three; 105 for three in the 24th over.
Musakanda went on to reach his fifty off 46 balls, but immediately afterwards was stumped off M’shangwe for 51; 132 for four in the 30th over.
Munyonga joined Burl, who was batting steadily, at this vital stage of the innings, and once he had had a look at the bowling began to attack vigorously, overtaking his partner in the twenties.
The 200 came up in the 40th over, and Stars were now surging ahead.
Munyonga (44 balls) and Burl (56 balls) both reached their fifties in quick succession during the 43rd over, and at this stage runs were coming off almost every delivery.
After a partnership of 120 for the fifth wicket, Burl finally skyed a catch to extra cover off the bowling of Tiripano for 62, scored off 64 balls with three fours and two sixes; 252 for five in the 45th over.
Faraz Akram failed to score, caught at the wicket off Tiripano, and then Munyonga, hitting at everything in the dying overs, skyed a catch to mid-on for 65.
He faced only 55 balls, hit seven fours and a six, and the score was now 263 for seven in the 47th over.
At 275, Patrick Mambo was caught and bowled by Tiripano for five, and the final total was 281 for nine, a very good total in this tournament; Rugare Magarira (3) and Richard Ngarava (1) were not out at the end.
After his disastrous opening overs, Tiripano recovered remarkably to finish with six for 55 off eight overs, while Chatara deserved better than none for 30 off his 10 overs.
M’shangwe rocked the middle order with his three wickets for 49 runs, so these three bowlers can be said to have emerged with credit despite a fine batting performance.
When Mountaineers replied, Tino Mawoyo surprised everybody by hitting Ngarava for two successive fours, but he lost Kevin Kasuza for six, caught at the wicket off the same bowler.
This was a great blow to them, as Kasuza and Hamilton Masakadza have been very much the most successful batsmen for Mountaineers during this tournament.
Scores Rising Stars
– 281-9 in 50 overs (Tony Munyonga 65, Ryan Burl 62, Tarisai Musakanda 51; Donald Tiripano 6/55, Natsai M’shangwe 3/49)
Manicaland Mountaineers – 137 all out in 30.1 overs (Hamilton Masakadza 50, Tino Mawoyo 22, Natsai M’shangwe 19; Brandon Mavuta 8/38, Richard Ngarava 1/25)
Rising Stars won by 144 runs — zimcricket