Brandon Moyo, Sports Reporter
A SENSATIONAL bowling spell from Alex Falao helped Eagles dehorn Tuskers with an eight wickets win at Takashinga Cricket Club on Friday.
Falao was a class above the rest as he picked up 12 wickets in the match.
He asserted Eagles’ dominance early on in the match with a fiery spell in the first innings, which saw him claim figures of 5/40 helping bundle Tuskers out for a paltry 166 runs in 46.1 overs.
Eagles went on to score a mammoth 512/8 (declared) to take a 346-run lead going into the second innings.
Despite a solid fight back with the bat for Tuskers in the second innings, Falao once again stood tall with another fiery spell.
He finished with figures of 7/95 in the second innings, making it impressive match figures of 12/135.
Having trailed by 346 runs, Tuskers finished their second innings on 461 all out in 125.3 overs, setting Eagles a target of 116 runs.
Tuskers
At the close of play on day three, Tuskers had staged a remarkable recovery in their second innings, reaching 331 for three wickets – Tanunurwa Makoni remained unbeaten on 140, while his partner Will Fraine had 142.
However, their hopes of forcing a draw after trailing by 346 runs on the first innings were all but shattered early in the morning when both batters were dismissed in quick succession, ending their brilliant 245-run partnership.
Fraine was caught off Munashe Chipara for 149, having faced 209 balls and struck two sixes and 16 fours.
In the very next over, Makoni fell lbw to Falao for 147, his innings spanning 283 balls and featuring 20 fours.
With the backbone of their innings broken, the tail collapsed cheaply against the bowling of Falao and Tapiwa Mufudza, as the last five batters managed only 29 runs collectively.
The one batter to stand out in the morning was Hamid Ali, who came in at number six and fought a lone battle to remain unbeaten on 74.
He faced 103 balls, hitting eight fours before the innings ended at 461.
With Eagles needing just 116 runs to win, Tinashe Kamunhukamwe went on the attack from the start but was caught off Tanatswa Bechani for 21 off 19 balls.
Kudzai Maunze contributed a steady 34, while Dion Myers, back to confident form, remained unbeaten on 50 off 57 balls, guiding Eagles to victory.
Tuskers team
The winning runs, however, came from Wessly Madhevere, who dispatched his first and third balls from Hamid for six, sealing the win in emphatic fashion.
Meanwhile, some fine leg-spin bowling by Rhinos’ Brandon Mavuta, who claimed seven wickets for 127 runs, put a check on Mountaineers’ push for victory at Mutare Sports Club.
However, with the first day’s play lost to rain, the match ultimately ended in a well-fought draw.
Mountaineers resumed their second innings on 45 for two, leading Rhinos by 126 runs, with Alistair Frost (28) and Arinesto Vezha (4) at the crease.
Needing to score quickly to set up a declaration and bowl Rhinos out a second time, they made steady progress.
The overnight duo departed for 43 and 16, respectively, but the next five batters all contributed at least 20 runs at the required brisk pace.
The standout partnership came when Wellington Masakadza (55 not out) and Vincent Masekesa (39) added 87 runs for the eighth wicket in just 18 overs.
However, the last three wickets fell in quick succession, with Mavuta finishing with figures of seven for the innings and a match haul of 10 for 231.
Mountaineers did not need to declare, setting Rhinos a target of 329 for victory.
Takudzwanashe Kaitano and Ben Curran got off to a brisk start, hinting at a possible chase, but they fell for 10 and 20, respectively.
Prince Masvaure (40) and Antum Naqvi (61) then added 93 runs in 20 overs, but the required run rate remained challenging.
After their dismissals, Rhinos abandoned the chase and both teams settled for a draw with the score at 165/4.
