Graeme Nish
Masvingo-based Southern Rocks cricket team and Kwekwe side Midwest Rhinos shared spoils in their two Pro 50 Championship matches at Masvingo Sports Club last Saturday and Monday.
Batting first in Saturday’s match, Rhinos posted a reasonable score of 276 thanks to a run ball 88 from Charles Kunje and tail ender Brandon Mavuta who smashed 47 runs of 38 deliveries.
Their captain Prince Masvaure and all-rounder Jonathan Campbell weighed in with 39 and 20 runs respectively.
All the Rocks bowlers got amongst the wickets with William Mashinge being the pick of the bowlers taking 3 for 77.
Tendai Chisoro and Keith Jaure both took two wickets while debutant Takudzwa Chataira; Dylan Hondo and Brian Mudzinganyama each took one.
The Rocks got off to a good start in their effort to chase down that total reaching 78 before opener Brian Mudzinganyama fell for 32.
His fellow opener Cephas Zhuwao was then joined by Northamptonshire professional Ben Curran and the two shared an 82 run partnership before Zhuwao was stumped on 99, an agonizing one run short of what would have been a well deserved century.
Curran went on to make 67 not out finding support from Rocks captain Richmond Mutumbami who made 33 and Mashinge who hit 22.
The Rocks overhauled the Rhinos total in the 46th over winning by four wickets.
In Monday’s game, the Rocks paid the price for some poor bowling and sloppy fielding after winning the toss and put the Rhinos in to batting.
Anchored by a well played 88 from Nyasha Mayavo, and with good support from Campbell (41) and Carl Mumba (39) the Rhinos put 310 runs on the board particularly accelerating towards the end when they were going at the rate of 15 runs an over in the last ten overs of their innings.
Chataira took four wickets for 78 runs in his ten overs with Chisoro and Jaure each taking two.
310 runs was always going to be a tough total for the Rocks to chase down but they got off to a good enough start reaching 70 before Cephas Zhou was out for 48. However 24 runs later and the Rocks had lost the wickets of Mudzinganyama (18); Curran (14) and Mutumbami (5).
However, Tafadzwa Tsiga; Dylan Hondo and William Mashinge set out repairing the damage with Tsiga making 55 and Hondo 23.
When Hondo and Jaure fell in the space of a few balls in the 45th over with the score on 251 for 9, it looked as though the Rocks were well out of it.
However, Mashinge taking as much of the strike as possible, delighted the small crowd with some massive sixes getting his side to 292 before he was caught behind off the second ball of the final over for a very well played 83 leaving the Rhinos with a 19 run win.
In other domestic Pro 50 Championship matches, Matabeleland Tuskers beat Mashonaland Eagles in both their matches taking them to the top of the log with Rocks and Rhinos in joint second.
However defending champions Mutare-based Mountaineers had a bye but get their tournament underway on October 4 when they play the Rhinos in Kwekwe while the Rocks will travel to Bulawayo for matches against Tuskers today (October 4) and this coming Sunday.
Next week the Rocks will be in action at Masvingo Sports Club on Thursday and Saturday when they play the Eagles in another two Pro 50 championship games.
