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Brandon Moyo, Sports Reporter

A BRANDON Mavuta master class with the ball saw Rhinos prove too strong for 2022/23 Logan Cup first class competition log leaders Eagles after winning their match played at Kwekwe Sports Club by an innings and 133 runs inside three days. 

Leg spinner Mavuta put up his hand to be counted as one of the best long version spinners finishing the match with figures of 11/102. Mavuta took back-to-back five wicket hauls in the match taking him to over 150 first class wickets. In the first innings he finished with figures of 5/17 and followed it up with 6/85 in the second. 

It took Rhinos the first session of day three to bowl out their opponents for 158 runs in the second innings. The eventual winners had scored 383 runs in the first innings having bowled out their opponents for 92 runs, taking a lead of 291 runs. 

With Mavuta taking most wickets, debutant Antum Amir Naqvi also played a pivotal role in the team’s second victory of the season. Off spinner Naqvi finished the match with five wickets, four coming in the first innings of the match and also scored an unbeaten maiden first class ton, finishing on 140 runs to guide his team to victory in his first outing.

Antum Amir Naqvi

For Eagles, there were only a few notable scores from the batsmen in the second innings with Nick Welch’s 39 and Kudzai Maunze’s 31 runs being the highest contributors with the bat. In the first innings, Tinashe Kamunhukamwe was the top scorer with 31 runs while no other batsman managed to cross the 20 run mark.

Tinashe Kamunhukamwe

Eagles are still on top of the log with 87 points, followed by Rhinos on 61 while defending champions Tuskers are third with 49 points. 

Nick Welch

Meanwhile, at Old Hararians a wet outfield restricted play from taking place in most of the morning before resuming in the afternoon. Batting first, Mega Market Mountaineers were bowled out for 260 runs by their opponents, Southern Rocks.

Timycen Maruma and Shingi Masakadza top scored for Mountaineers, both finishing with a similar score of 63 runs. Cuthbert Musoko starred with the ball for Rocks, finishing with figures of 6/48 in 14 overs while Takudzwa Chataira took two wickets and the other two that fell were taken by Travor Mutsamba and William Mashinge.

At the end of the day’s play, Rocks were on 64-3 in 14.4 overs trailing by 196 runs having lost the wickets of Brian Mudzinganyama, Cephas Zhuwao and Ben Curran. The three wickets were taken by Fortune Mhlanga, Donald Tiripano and Shingi Masakadza as the match is headed to an interesting final day. — @brandon_malvin