Rangers – 221 and 159-6 in 46 overs (Clive Imbayago 46*, Brian Mudzinganyama 35, Tanunurwa Makoni 31; Patrick Mambo 2/29, Trevor Garwe 1/12, Faraz Akram 1/16)
Eagles – 106 all out in 44 overs (Kudzai Maunze 16, Chamu Chibhabha 14, Patrick Mambo 12; Charlton Tshuma 4/28, Clive Chitumba 3/6, Kyle Jarvis 2/22)
Day 2 – Stumps: Rangers lead by 274 runs with four wickets remaining
Charlton Tshuma was Rangers’ spearhead in their Logan Cup match against Eagles at Harare Sports Club on Thursday morning, when the early cricket verged on the sensational.
Tshuma’s fine bowling shattered the powerful Eagles top-order batting, and after lunch it was followed up by fellow seam bowler Clive Chitumba, who bundled out Eagles for a shocking 106 runs in their first innings, a deficit of 115.
By the close Rangers had put together a steady score of 159 for six wickets, and thus lead Eagles by a remarkable 274 runs.
Eagles were 12 without loss overnight, Kudzai Maunze with three and Chamu Chibhabha with seven, in reply to the Rangers innings total of 221.
The left-arm spinner Dylan Hondo opened the bowling, no doubt to try to take advantage of Chibhabha’s perceived weakness against spin, opposite Kyle Jarvis.
However, it was the pace of Jarvis that removed him,beating his forward defense and trapping him lbw with the score on 32; Chibhabha made 14 of them, just beating Extras, which was on 13 at that stage.
Maunze seemed to specialise in risky little dabs into the slips and became quite bogged down, while Tinashe Kamunhukamwe also found scoring difficult against good bowling by Jarvis and the youngsters, and very keen fielding.
Maunze scored 16 off 69 balls before he pushed forward at a ball from Tshuma outside his off stump, the delivery after hitting his only boundary, and was given out caught at the wicket; 53 for two, and 22 overs had been bowled.
Kamunhukamwe reached 12 with a drive for a boundary off the seam bowler Davis Murwendo, but off the next ball another drive was miscued and well held by Jarvis at mid-off; 57 for three now.
Regis Chakabva and Tino Mutombodzi were now together, neither having yet faced a ball.
Chakabva was only to score a single before, after consultation between the umpires, he was given out caught at the wicket off the bowling of Tshuma.
Eagles were now in some danger at 63 for four wickets and Tony Munyonga joined Mutombodzi at the wicket.
Five were then down for 65, as Mutombodzi (5) padded up to a ball from Tshuma, to be given out lbw.
Patrick Mambo, the new batsman, hit a four, but from the defensive, sometimes tentative approach of the batsmen, it seemed that Eagles were quite rattled by their unexpected setbacks.
By lunch Eagles had crawled to 84 for five wickets, with Munyonga on seven and Mambo on 11.
Tshuma’s figures at this stage read nine overs and three wickets for 18 runs.
He along with the other bowlers found some help and movement from the pitch, but most of all it seemed to be the sheer force of adrenaline that enabled Rangers to play above themselves and dominate the morning session against powerful opponents.
They struck again in the first over after lunch, as Chitumba moved the ball in to trap Munyonga lbw for seven, which took him 28 balls, and the score was still 84.
Jarvis returned from the pavilion end, and almost immediately knocked Mambo’s off stump flying.
Trevor Garwe, on two, was almost caught at slip, the ball flying high over the fieldsman there who just managed to get his fingertips to it, but no more.
He only lasted to make four, though, becoming another batsman to be caught at the wicket pushing just outside the off, to Chitumba, which made eight men out for 93 and the side in danger of being bowled out for under 100.
Another lbw dismissal followed, this time Tapiwa Mufudza to Chitumba for a single; 94 for nine wickets.
Faraz Akram and Blessing Muzarabani both scored a single to take the score to 96, and then Tshuma suddenly bowled a wide to Akram that beat the keeper for an additional four runs, and Eagles had been gifted their 100 score.
Akram finished the over with a fine straight drive over the bowler’s head to the boundary, one of the few outstanding strokes by the Eagles batsmen during the day.
The innings finally came to an end for 106, as Muzarabani (2) wafted at a ball from Tshuma outside his off stump and was caught at the wicket, leaving Akram not out with five.
Tshuma had bowled superbly to finish with four wickets for 28, while Chitumba polished off the lower middle order very effectively to take three for six in five overs.
All the bowlers played their part splendidly, and were supported magnificently in the field.
Rangers had about an hour to bat until tea, and they did not let their success go to their heads, but knuckled down in the knowledge that they had to set the home side a very challenging target.
Takudzwa Takodza opened with Tanunurwa Makoni, and the former made seven before he was trapped lbw by Garwe.
Makoni and Mudzinganyama batted sensibly until the tea interval, when the score was 36 for one wicket, with both batsmen on 14.
There was an unpleasant incident when the score was on 58, as a bouncer from Muzarabani struck Makoni a nasty blow on the helmet and forced him to retire hurt with his score on 24.
Clive Imbayago replaced him, but he soon lost Mudzinganyama, who tried to hook another bouncer from the same bowler but edged a catch to the keeper; he made 35 and the score was 66 for two.
At this point Makoni was able to return courageously, but unfortunately he did not last long; he was also caught at the wicket for 31 as he tried too late to withdraw his bat from a ball from Mambo; 86 for three.
Johnathan Campbell made 13 before being bowled by Mufudza at 118 for four.
A slow period followed, as Imbayago and Chitumba tried to consolidate, but it ended when Chitumba was out lbw to Akram for three off 23 balls; 132 for five.
Trouble began to loom when Mutombodzi removed Alvin Chiradza lbw without scoring, and six were down for 132.
The lead at this point was 248, a good one, but not enough to be safe against an Eagles team with a habit of pulling out their best performances when they are most needed.
Jarvis came in, and soon drove Akram for a straight six.
He stayed with Imbayago up to the close of play and they were unbeaten with 15 and 46 respectively.
The total was 159 for six wickets, a lead of 274.
The match could be over on the third day, when it seems Eagles may well be set a target of over 300 runs to win.
They will be under great pressure, as their pride will suffer a serious blow if they lose to this young team playing their début first-class match.
Today’s play could be a real cracker.
News Sport Online 