Maruma's ten give Mountaineers easy win

A ten-wicket match haul by Tymcen Maruma gave the Moutaineers a comfortable eight-wicket win against the Southern Rocks after chasing down 175 in the fourth innings.

The Rocks started confidently after being put in by the Mountaineers with a 105-run second-wicket partnership between captain Chamunorwa Chibhabha and Erick Chauluka. However their lower order lost wickets to the spinners Prosper Utseya, and Maruma who took seven wickets between them. After five hours and sixteen minutes of play the Rocks were bowled out for 250. Chauluka scored 43 off 133 balls, Chibhabha was bowled for 60 off 82 and Robertson Chinyengetere scored 59 from 110 balls before being trapped leg before wicket by Maruma, who took 5 for 37 runs

Overnight drizzle delayed proceedings by an hour and when play got underway at 11am it was the Rocks who drew first blood when Bernard Mlambo was caught at backward point by Hilary Matanga off the bowling of Tendai Chisoro without adding to his overnight score of 13. By lunch the Mountaineers had slipped to 81 for 4. A fifth-wicket stand of 110 between Stuart Matsikenyeri and Utseya seemingly put the home side back on track before Matsikenyeri presented Matanga with the simplest of catches for 73.

Wickets then started to fall at regular intervals and despite Utseya's gritty 54, the home side could only manage a lead of 37. The Rocks' second innings got off to a bad start and at lunch of day three they found themselves floundering at 51 for 7 as Maruma bowled a devastating spell of 5 for 37 runs off 10 overs. A day-three finish seemed almost certain as they collapsed to 109 for 9. Alistair Maregwede then found an unlikely partner in Matanga who frustrated the Mountaineers as the two of them added 110 for the tenth wicket before Matanga was finally out for 33. Maregwede was unbeaten on a hard-fought 82 off 190 deliveries.

Maruma followed up his first-innings success by taking 5 for 62 off 18 overs giving him match figures of 10 for 99 which meant that the Mountaineers were set 175 to win. Openers Tinotenda Mawoyo and Tatenda Taibu laid the platform with an opening stand of 107 before Taibu was well caught by wicket-keeper Maregwede off the bowling of Matanga for 49 but the Mountaineers managed an easy win.

The Mid West Rhinos' match against the Mashonaland Eagles petered out to a draw at the Kwekwe Sports Club with the hosts batting out their second innings on the final day.

Centuries from Friday Kasteni and Brendan Taylor took the Rhinos to 344 in the first innings despite a seven-wicket haul from 18-year old legspinner Tinotenda Mutombodzi. The Rhinos lost two early wickets but the Kasteni and Taylor added 204 to take them to them to 229 before Mutombodzi took the first of his five wickets. In 22 overs he reduced the Rhinos from 229 for 2 to 286 for 7. Ed Rainsford and Graeme Cremer took them past 300 but could not really build on the advantage given by Taylor and Kasteni. Mutobodzi dismissed Taurai Muzarabani and Rainsford to end with 7 for 84 in only his third first-class match.

The Eagles stuttered in their reply, losing their first five wickets for 105. However a patient 156 Forster Mutizwa and 49 by Elton Chigumbura gave them a first-innings lead of 36. Cremer was the pick of the bowlers, taking 5 for 160 with his legbreaks.

At the end of day three the Eagles may have fancied their chances to win the game as the Rhinos led by 32 runs with seven wickets in hand. However Cremer scored 94 and Muzarabani chipped in with 51. The Eagles used eight bowlers in the second innings but Cremer's innings had already ensured a draw.