Maruma, Chatara take Mountaineers to title win

An unbeaten half-century by Timycen Maruma and a four-wicket haul by Tendai Chatara paved the way for a dominating performance from Mountaineers against Southern Rocks and led them to the Pro50 Championship title win at the Mutare Sports Club.

Mountaineers, who had finished at the top of the table after the league stage, opted to field and fired the first salvo as Chatara struck twice in two balls in the fourth over of the innings to leave Rocks on 4 for 2. Those early losses dried up the runs and the escape Rocks must have hoped for did not come. They kept on losing regular wickets to slump to 78 for 7 in the 27th over. Then came the resistance - a 63-run stand between Tendai Chisoro and Luke Jongwe - that took the total past the three-figure mark and helped avoid a total capitulation. Chatara came back to clean up the tail to finally end the innings on 174.

Faced with a middling target, the Mountaineers batting had a few jitters when they lost both their openers in quick succession to Tafandzwa Kamungozi after a solid start. However, that proved to be the last spike in Rocks' fortunes for the day as Hamilton Masakadza and Maruma blunted the bowling with a 72-run stand for the third wicket. Although Masakdza fell for 39, Maruma didn't have to force the pace as the required rate was below three an over. He reached his half-century with a single off the 69th delivery he faced and only accelerated towards the finish line to complete the chase with 10.5 overs to spare.