Zimpapers Logo

Brandon Moyo, [email protected]

THE New Year couldn’t have gotten off to a better start for Johnathan Campbell who, at a young age, has written his name in stone in the annals of Zimbabwean cricket history.

The 26-year-old left-hander showed his class when he achieved a rare feat of back-to-back centuries in the New Year’s Logan Cup match between Southern Rocks and Rhinos while also becoming the third Zimbabwean to score more than 330 runs in a single First Class match.

The game ended in a draw, however, a special one for Campbell.

In the match’s first innings, the youngster came in to bat at number six with his team struggling on 85/4 before going on to notch up his career-best score of 194 runs — in a record-breaking with Alvin Chiradza (who scored 111 runs).

Campbell’s runs-scoring spree did not end in the first innings as he went on to score his third First Class ton in the second innings, falling for 139 runs.

Campbell finished the match with a total of 333 runs, writing his name in stone among some of the country’s finest-ever cricketers.

Only two Zimbabwean players have ever exceeded that figure in red-ball cricket.

The two, who are the only ones to have scored more than 333 runs in a single First-Class match by a Zimbabwean, are Andy Flower — in a Test match against South Africa — and Sean Ervine. The young Campbell has now joined an elite group of cricketers.

Courtesy of Campbell’s brilliant 194 runs off 248 balls (21 fours and four sixes) and Chiradza’s maiden First Class ton of 111 runs off 192 balls, Rocks posted a mammoth score of 458 all out in 102,3 overs before Rhinos responded in a good manner.

Nyasha Mayavo scored a brilliant 101 runs from just 85 balls as Rhinos finished their innings with 448 runs all out, trailing by just 10 runs.

In the second innings, it was Campbell again who starred for Southern Rocks with a 176-ball 139 runs while Roy Kaia remained undefeated on 80 runs off 121 balls as they declared on 324/4.

Muhammad Adil starred with the ball for Rhinos, picking up three wickets for 93 runs in 14,5 overs.

At stumps, Rhinos were on 160/6 with Prince Masvaure standing tall on 67 runs not out from 157 balls.

Jalat Khan (4/66 in 20 overs), Kaia (1/19 in 10 overs) and Eddie Byrom (1/0 in 1,1 overs) took the wickets for Southern Rocks.

It was yet another disappointing outing for Tuskers who suffered a 176-run defeat at the hands of Mega Market Mountaineers.

Tuskers had a good start to the match as they bowled out Mountaineers for just 187 runs in the first innings courtesy of two fifers from young talent Tinotenda Maposa and Mamoon Ur Riaz.

Maposa bagged his maiden First Class fifer to finish with figures of 5/61 in 10 overs while Riaz finished with figures of 5/55 in 14 overs.

Peter Moor top scored for Mountaineers in the first innings with 56 runs off 28 balls.

Tuskers would go on to finish their first innings on 210 runs all out with a lead of 23 runs with Dalubuhle Mboyi top scoring with 48 runs off 134 balls.

Salman Mirza took six wickets for 42 runs in 18 overs for Mountaineers.

In the second innings, it was Riaz who led the bowling unit for Tuskers, claiming four scalps for 93 runs in 21 overs while Maposa and Ernest Masuku took two wickets apiece for 41 and 45 runs in 16,4 and 12 overs respectively.

Brandon James and Ainsley Ndlovu took one wicket apiece as they bowled out Mountaineers for 320 runs in 93,4 overs.

Dion Myers top-scored for Mountaineers in the second innings with a brilliant 156 runs off 270 balls.

Chasing a target of 298 runs to win, it seemed a huge task for Tuskers who were bowled out for just 121 runs on the final day of the game. Once again, there was no half-century from the Bulawayo-based side with their top scorer being Tanunurwa Makoni with 41 runs off 86 balls.

Mirza finished with figures of 3/46 in 11 overs while Tendai Chatara took two wickets for 22 runs in his 12-over spell.

The Logan Cup resumes on Wednesday with Mountaineers facing Eagles while Tuskers will be up against Rhinos. —@brandon_malvin