Tuskers salvage draw against Eagles

BRIAN Chari played a captain’s innings of 66 to carry Tuskers safely to a draw in their Logan Cup match against Eagles at Old Hararians Sports Club on Saturday.

The home side pulled out all the stops in a vain effort to secure victory in a rain-spoiled fixture.

After the third day was washed out, Eagles started the final day on 109 for two wickets, with Kudzai Maunze on 26 and Chamu Chibhabha on 10.

There was not much time to secure the outright victory they were seeking from this position, but all the Eagles batters who went in hit out as boldly as they could so they could declare and send Tuskers in again.

Maunze was the most successful, scoring 56 off 90 balls altogether before he was out, and was helped by speedy twenties from Chibhabha, Tadiwanashe Marumani and Faraz Akram.

The declaration came before lunch at 205 for six wickets, a lead of 83.

Tuskers had only a draw to play for, and they were going well when they reached 49 with only one wicket down.

However, Alex Russell broke through with five wickets in quick succession, and Eagles scented victory when the sixth wicket went down at 76.

Chari was still there, though, playing well, and he finally found Tinotenda Maposa, who had earlier taken four Eagles wickets, to play with a firm defensive bat while they added an invaluable 71 runs in 27 overs.

Russell then dismissed Chari for 66, scored off 118 balls with 10 fours, but Ma-moon Ur Riaz hit a belligerent 38 off 30 balls to take the eventual total to 197.

This left Eagles to score 115 runs to win with the light deteriorating.

They batted for only 10 balls, off which Nick Welch scored 14 not out, including three fours, off seven of them, before the match was called off as a draw.

Predictably, the match between Mega Market Mountaineers and Southern Rocks at Takashinga Cricket Club had to be abandoned without a ball being bowled, due to a wet outfield — ZimCricket.