mbulelo smpofu
Brandon Moyo, brandonmalvin9@gmail.com
A vintage knock from veteran Brian Chari and a stellar bowling performance by Ernest Masuku propelled Tuskers to a nail-biting one-wicket victory over Eagles in a Pro50 Championship match at Takashinga Cricket Club in Highfield, Harare, yesterday.
Chari’s 18th List A half-century (57 off 92 balls) helped Tuskers chase down a target of 194 runs with one wicket in hand and two overs to spare. The 32-year-old’s experience proved invaluable in guiding his team to its second win of the season.
Earlier, Tuskers’ bowlers, led by Masuku, restricted Eagles to 193 runs in 43.1 overs. Masuku’s impressive figures of 4/33 included the wickets of Eagles’ opening duo, Tinashe Kamunhukamwe (26) and Tadiwanashe Marumani (11). He also claimed the scalps of Dion Myers (0) and Faraz Akram (16).
Luke Jongwe (2/41) and Brandon James (2/27) provided able support to Masuku, while Nkosana Mpofu and Ainsley Ndlovu chipped in with a wicket each.
Eagles’ Craig Ervine top-scored with 54 runs off 94 deliveries, while Tony Munyonga contributed 31 runs from 45 balls.
In their chase, Tuskers struggled to build meaningful partnerships, but Chari’s solidity and handy contributions from Will Fraine (37) and Luke Jongwe (32) kept them in the hunt.
As the game reached its climax, Tuskers found themselves needing four runs to win in 20 balls with just one wicket in hand.
James held his nerve, scoring the winning runs in the 48th over. With Masuku on strike, the first two balls were dots, followed by a wide, leaving Tuskers needing two runs for victory. Masuku took a single, giving James the strike, and he scored the winning run off the last ball of the over.
Tapiwa Mufudza (3/29) and Tanaka Chivanga (2/27) were the standout bowlers for Eagles, while Richard Ngarava, Akram, and Tony Munyonga picked up a wicket each. — @brandon_malvin
