Kaia, Mashinge, Odendaal put Rocks firmly in driver’s seat

Eagles – 193 all out in 61 overs (Kudzai Maunze 51, Brad Evans 38, Oskar Kolk 31; Tendai Chisoro 4/37, Innocent Kaia 3/27, Travor Mutsamba 1/13)

Southern Rocks – 449 all out in 116 overs (Roy Kaia 96, Andre Odendaal 80, William Mashinge 71; Honest Ziwira 4/98, Tapiwa Mufudza 3/107, Tadiwanashe Nyangani 2/70)

Day 2 – Stumps: Rocks lead by 256 runs

Fine fifties by Roy Kaia and William Mashinge, and a startling one from Andre Odendaal, gave Southern Rocks a huge advantage in their Logan Cup match at Old Hararians Sports Club today.

Rocks began the second day on 64 for one wicket, with Brian Mudzinganyama on 30 and Gabriel Jaya six.

Honest Ziwira soon accounted for them both, Mudzinganyama for 36 and Jaya for 17, and three wickets were down for 83.

Tadiwanashe Marumani then joined Roy Kaia, and played a dashing innings of 44, taking the score to 157 before he was bowled by Tadiwanashe Nyangani.

Kaia now took over and looked to dominate the bowling, while his next partner Tafadzwa Tsiga scored three out of their partnership of 33 for the fifth wicket.

William Mashinge again showed his batting ability in partnership with Kaia, and the pair were together when the Eagles score of 193 was overtaken.

Kaia looked set for a fine century when he was trapped lbw by Tino Mutombodzi for 96, with the score at 254.

The next partnership was the one that really put Rocks in control, as Tendai Chisoro joined Mashinge and in 21 overs the pair put on 91 runs for the seventh wicket.

Chisoro was out at 345, having scored 44 of those runs, and two more wickets fell quickly, including Mashinge for 71, nine being down now for 357.

If Eagles thought the innings was as good as over they had a shock, though, because Andre Odendaal at No 10 launched a blistering attack on the bowling.

He raced to his maiden first-class fifty off only 31 balls and continued the onslaught until he reached 80, off just 49 balls, when he was bowled by a no doubt very relieved Tapiwa Mufudza just before the close of play.

Rocks were all out for 449, a huge first-innings lead of 256 runs.

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Mountaineers – 263-8 in 81.5 overs (Shingi Masakadza 77, Joylord Gumbie 62, Timycen Maruma 33; Brandon Mavuta 4/25, Tafara Chingwara 1/32, Carl Mumba 1/35)

Rhinos – 286 all out in 87 overs (Charles Kunje 79, Remembrance Nyathi 55, Takudzwanashe Kaitano 38; Tony Munyonga 4/35, Victor Nyauchi 2/51, Shingi Masakadza 1/19)

Day 2 – Stumps: Rhinos trail by four runs

In the other Logan Cup match at Harare Sports Club, Mountaineers resumed their innings this morning on 263 for eight wickets, with Victor Nyauchi on 17 and Tinashe Muchawaya 15.

Muchawaya did not add to his overnight score, but Nyauchi went on to record his highest score in first-class cricket with 39 before being last out – both batsmen were caught at the wicket by Nyasha Mayavo off Carl Mumba, who finished with three wickets for 46.

Brandon Mavuta was much more expensive for his four wickets, which cost him 126 runs.

The total was 290, a good recovery from 168 for seven at one stage.

Nyauchi struck a great blow for Mountaineers when in the first over of the Rhinos innings he trapped Prince Masvaure lbw without a run on the board.

Tarisai Musakanda was in next, but only scored 13 before Dion Myers claimed him lbw for 13; 27 for two.

Brendan Taylor came in and made a slow beginning, but then started to find his touch.

While Takudzwa Kaitano played a sound game at the other end, Taylor began driving powerfully and hit five fours before he was given out caught at the wicket as he swished at a ball down the leg side from Muchawaya for 30, with the score 81 for three.

At lunch Rhinos were 86 for three, with Kaitano on 32 and Remembrance Nyathi still to score.

Kaitano’s innings came to a disappointing end, as with a simple miscue of a ball from Nyathi he lobbed a catch on the off side for 38, a valuable innings; 102 for four.

Nyathi played a defensive game while Charles Kunje tried to push the score along, and reached an impressive fifty off 71 balls.

The teams took tea with the score 202 for four, Kunje on 58 and Nyathi 47, having just achieved their century partnership.

The stand reached 126 altogether before Nyathi seemed to lose concentration and slashed loosely at a ball from Clive Chitumba that was outside his off stump, to be caught at the wicket for 55; he faced 140 balls in a solid innings and hit five fours.

Nyasha Mayavo played well from the start, while Kunje gave hopes of a century, but with 79 to his account he was beaten by a ball from Munyonga and smartly stumped by Kudzai Sauramba; 254 for six.

Sauramba featured again in the next over, as Mayavo (23) edged a catch to him off Shingi Masakadza.

Mavuta decided his best chances were attack, and he hammered the pace of Nyauchi for a four and six off successive balls before being caught off Munyonga for 16; 278 for eight.

Mumba and Chris Mpofu, both of whom have a reputation of hitters, decided to block for a long period when one would have thought they would have liked to get Mountaineers in to bat before the close of play.

Then as soon as Mumba did venture a big hit, he was caught in the deep off Munyonga, having scored two off 21 balls.

Mpofu hit a four and was not out eight when Chingwara was caught at the wicket off Munyonga without scoring, and Rhinos were all out at the halfway stage of the match for 286, four runs behind the Mountaineers first-innings total.

Munyonga bowled with great skill to take four wickets for 35, while Nyauchi had two for 51.

SOURCE: ZIMBABWE CRICKET