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with a 177 run victory over Midwest Rhinos on the fourth and final day of the cricket encounter at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo yesterday.
Tuskers, who collected all the seven points from the match moved to second position and will now meet Mountaineers in the final of the country’s premier first class competition at the end of this month. Captain Gavin Ewing’s Tuskers scored 393 for the loss of eight wickets declared in their first innings. Rhinos scored 298 runs in their first innings and Tuskers again declared their second innings on 335 to leave the visitors requiring 431 runs to win of which they managed 253 runs.
Midwest Rhinos had to complete the match without their skipper Vusumuzi Sibanda who has been called up to the Zimbabwe’s squad at the International Cricket Council Cricket World Cup to take up the place of the injured Sean Williams. Tuskers leading bowler Keegan Meth was not able to play after suffering a concussion when he collided with teammate Bradley Staddon while fielding on the third day.
The match entered its fourth and final day with Midwest Rhinos on 103 for four, Bothwell Chapungu and night watchman Simon Mugava the two batsmen in the middle.
The pair added 15 runs to the overnight total before they their fifth wicket stand was brought to an end in the fourth over of the day when fast bowler Njabulo Ncube rattled Mugava’s off stump to dismiss him for four runs.
Chapungu, brought in as a replacement for Sibanda contributed 47 runs prior to having his leg stump uprooted by Thabo Mboyi and Midwest Rhinos were six down with 126 runs on board. Remembrance Nyathi and Roland Benade shared in a 32 run partnership for the seventh wicket, which was brought to and end when Nyathi was bowled by left arm spinner Keith Dabengwa for 14 runs.
Benade played some powerful shots to race to the half century mark after facing up to 62 balls with seven fours. Going into the lunch interval, Rhinos were on 221 runs for the loss of seven wickets, still needing 209 runs to win while Tuskers needed three wickets.
There were wild celebrations when fast bowler Thabo Mboyi had Justin Lewis taken at second slip by Paul Horton as that sealed the win for Tuskers.
Tuskers’ qualification for the final highlights the massive turnaround in the franchise’s fortunes since former national team coach David Houghton took over as the head coach from Robin Brown.