Rhinos seal innings victory

GALLANT centuries from Nkosana Mpofu and Hamid Ali could not prevent Rhinos, who lost only three wickets in this Logan Cup match, from defeating Tuskers by an innings and 40 runs at Takashinga Sports Club on Saturday.

Overnight Tuskers were 143 for two wickets, with Mpofu on 65 and Brian Chari 26, needing to score 410 runs just to save an innings defeat.

Chari soon went in the morning for 28, but with help from Tafara Mupariwa the 200 was passed with only three wickets down and Mpofu having just reached his century.

Then Mohammad Adil dismissed them both lbw with the second new ball, Mpofu having taken 273 balls for his 102 runs in a determined innings that contained a six and eight fours.

Mike Chinouya followed up with two wickets with successive deliveries, and Tuskers looked to be on their way out at 207 for seven wickets, the last four having fallen for two runs.

However, Ali, better noted for his pace bowling, now stood up to be counted and scored a fine maiden first-class century, with Mamoon Ur Riaz (23) his only partner able to reach double figures. But the deficit was too big and Tuskers were all out for 370, with Ali eventually unbeaten with 124, which came off 147 balls with two sixes and 13 fours.

Adil and Chinouya both finished with three wickets, for 87 and 66 runs respectively, giving Rhinos their first victory in the Logan Cup this season.

Meanwhile, a wonderful fighting century from Tadiwanashe Marumani saved Eagles from defeat as, set an unlikely 480 to beat Mega Market Mountaineers at Old Hararians Sports Club, they forced a draw at 443 for nine wickets when time ran out on Saturday evening.

Eagles began the day on six for no wicket in the final innings of the match and were obviously determined to make Mountaineers fight all the way.

Their opening batter Larvet Masunda set the stage with a dogged innings of 78, which lasted over four hours and 163 balls before he was fifth out with the score at 212.

This brought in Marumani to join Chamu Chibhabha, and the two of them batted so well in partnership that at one stage it looked possible that they might even be able to win the match for their team. Both attacked the bowling in fine style, taking the score to 380 before Victor Nyauchi finally broke through, immediately after Marumani reached his second career century, by having Chibhabha caught by Shingi Masakadza for 83, scored off 99 balls with two sixes and nine fours.

Remarkably, within the next five overs Masakadza took two more catches, and each was off a different bowler, as the tail began to crumble, three successive batters scoring just two runs among them.

All the time Marumani, keeping the strike very successfully, still kept up the attack, and although the match went on until after 6pm, the exhausted Mountaineers bowlers were unable to dismiss either him or Hamza Sajjad, who had to face only 12 balls for five not out.

Marumani finished undefeated with 144, scored off 141 balls with three sixes and 17 fours.

Of the bowlers, Donald Tiripano and Nyauchi took three wickets each.

Brief Scores

TUSKERS: 128 and 370 all out in 136 overs (Hamid Ali 124*, Nkosana Mpofu 102, Bright Phiri 30; Mike Chinouya 3/66, Muhammad Adil 3/87, Victor Chirwa 2/112)

RHINOS: 538-3 declared in 126.4 overs (Antum Naqvi 300*, Ben Curran 124, Tarisai Musakanda 48; Nkosana Mpofu 1/66, Mamoon ur Riaz 1/85, Tinotenda Maposa 1/86)

RESULT: Rhinos won by an innings and 40 runs