mbulelo smpofu
Brandon Moyo, brandonmalvin9@gmail.com
TUSKERS were once again left reeling as another Logan Cup match ended in a draw due to persistent rain over the past couple of weeks.
Tuskers had hoped to capitalise on playing at home when they hosted Rhinos at Bulawayo Athletic Club (BAC), but rain played spoilsport yet again. Only 9.3 overs were bowled during the match. There was no play on the first two days, and action was limited to a brief period on day three before play was suspended due to wet patches on the field. Despite hopes for play on the final morning, overnight rain rendered the ground unfit, and match officials eventually called for a draw, citing the outfield would only have been playable after 3pm—too late to achieve any meaningful result.
This marked the second consecutive Logan Cup match for Tuskers affected by rain, following a rain-affected draw against Southern Rocks in Harare last week.
Speaking after the suspension of play on day three, Tuskers head coach Walter Chawaguta, expressed hope for improved results in future matches. While he praised the team’s batting, he highlighted the need for better performances with the ball to secure victories and move off the bottom of the standings.
The Bulawayo side are yet to register a Logan Cup win this season, with three draws and two defeats in five matches.
“We still haven’t won a Logan Cup match, and I’ve spoken to my players about this. We’ve done well with the bat; the only problem is that we haven’t taken 20 wickets. In Mutare, we batted well and put Mountaineers under pressure but couldn’t take the 20 wickets and the game ended in a draw. Against Rocks, the rain didn’t help, and we ended up just batting for most of the two days, putting on an imposing score but never getting an opportunity to bowl,” said Chawaguta.
The coach added that their chances of securing a positive result hinge on their ability to take 20 wickets.
“We’ve played reasonably well. If you look at the team second on the log, they haven’t won a match either. They’ve accumulated all their points through batting and bowling points, which we haven’t fully capitalised on. The main focus for us going into the second round is to work harder on our bowling to ensure we take 20 wickets, as that gives us the best chance of achieving a positive result.”
After the toss, conducted after lunch on day three, Rhinos elected to field first. When play was suspended, Tuskers were 17/0, with Tanunurwa Makoni on 11 runs off 28 balls and Nkosana Mpofu on 5 runs off 30. Play was eventually called off shortly after the tea break.
In their previous Logan Cup match against Rocks, Tuskers ended with a commanding total of 557/5 after 136 overs, courtesy of centuries from Makoni and Mpofu. Mpofu scored 120 runs off 224 balls, while Makoni remained unbeaten on 185 off 281 deliveries. Luke Jongwe was nearing a century, finishing on 94 not out off 196 balls. Brian Chari contributed 77 runs from 122 balls, while Brian Mudzinganyama fell just short of a half-century with 46 runs off 69 deliveries. Rocks bowlers Keith Jaure (2/78), Sydney Murombo, Priviledge Chesa and Innocent Kaia, each claimed a wicket.
Tuskers’ next Logan Cup match is against Eagles in Harare, starting on January 28. Before that, they will play a Pro50 Championship match on January.26. —@brandon_malvin
Siphakeme .Mnindwa
