ten Doeschate takes Eagles into final

Mashonaland Eagles 207 for 7 (ten Doeschate 121) beat Matabeleland Tuskers 162 for 3 (Gayle 51, Trenchard 56) by 23 runs (D/L method)
Scorecard

Ryan ten Doeschate, the Netherlands allrounder, smashed 121 not out off 58 balls to lead Mashonaland Eagles to the final of the Stanbic Twenty20 Series. ten Doeschate's hundred helped Eagles beat Matabeleland Tuskers by 23 runs on the Duckworth-Lewis method in the qualifying final, and set up a clash with Mountaineers. Tuskers' international star Chris Gayle gave them hope in the chase with a 31-ball 51 but even though Steven Trenchard smashed 56 off 31 balls Tuskers could not reach the revised target of 186 from 18 overs.

Faced with a big chase, Tom Smith scored at a strike-rate of just 72.22, and though Gayle was blazing away at the other end, the required-rate kept rising. When Smith was dismissed, Tuskers needed to score at 12.52 an over, and though Trenchard and Paul Horton score quickly, it was not enough.

The match was won in the first innings, in which ten Doeschate single-handedly batted Tuskers out of the game. He struck eight sixes and six fours in his innings, and was unperturbed by wickets falling at the other end. Eagles' total of 207 was the highest of the tournament, and it proved to be a winning one.

The final, between Eagles and Mountaineers, will be played on December 4 at the Harare Sports Club.