Luke Jongwe, once considered such a promising young all-rounder, has been in the shadows for the past two seasons, but this time round he has again been making his name known in cricket circles, mainly for his batting.
In the Pro50 Championship game at Harare Sports Club against Rhinos today, he restored a sagging Tuskers innings with a fine fifty, the highest score of the match.
This gave his team enough runs for their bowlers, in particular spinners Ainsley Ndlovu and Sean Williams, to bowl out the disappointing opposition cheaply and win a match they had looked likely to lose by 49 runs.
Conditions were damp and overcast after much rain during the night, and Rhinos chose to bowl on winning the toss.
They were soon overjoyed to have done so, as the Tuskers opening batsmen were dismissed by the first ball they faced, Carl Mumba being the bowler for both.
Brian Chari edged the first ball of the match to the keeper; Craig Ervine took a single off the second ball, and Cunningham Ncube drove the third into the covers, to be caught by Tendai Chisoro.
Ervine and Sean Williams obviously decided the best policy was to go for the bowling before it got them, and they scored 21 off the second over, a poor one from Tafara Chingwara, who was promptly replaced by the more accurate Neville Madziva.
Williams scored 17 before being caught at backward point to give Mumba his third wicket, the score now being 37 for three in the fifth over.
With Nkosana Mpofu more aggressive than usual, the team fifty came up in the ninth over.
In the 12th over a sudden flurry of rain drove the players off the field, at 60 for three; no sooner had they reached shelter when the rain stopped and they had to return to the field.
At 68 came further disasters for Tuskers, as first Mpofu (14) slashed at a ball from Madziva outside his off stump and edged to the keeper.
Two balls later Zimbabwe Under-19 star Milton Shumba drove loosely at the same bowler without getting over the ball and was caught at mid-on without scoring; 68 for five.
Jongwe came in next, but the batsmen only took the score to 80 when Ervine missed a sweep at a full-length ball from Chisoro and was given out lbw for 40, scored off 50 balls.
This was the most vital wicket and Ervine had scored exactly half the runs on the board.
The all-rounders Jongwe and Ernest Masuku now dug in to retrieve the situation, and added a useful 25 for the seventh wicket before Mumba, in his second spell, knocked out Masuku’s off stump with a fast yorker.
Jongwe, playing well, was now joined by Chris Mpofu, who played his new blocking game in support of his partner.
After the second drinks break, at 122 for seven, the players carried on in a little drizzle for a while, until Jongwe reached a well-earned 50 off 67 balls.
Unfortunately he decided to celebrate by blasting the next ball, from Brandon Mavuta, for six and instead hit a simple catch straight to long-on, ending the 43-run partnership at 148 for eight, in the 37th over.
Mpofu, now the senior partner with Ainsley Ndlovu in, was now licensed to hit out, but instead he played a limp stroke to be bowled by Chisoro for nine, without addition to the score.
The last pair scrambled together 13 runs, of which Ndlovu managed only three before being easily stumped off Mavuta; Sheu Musekwa was not out with six, and the total 161 off only 41.2 overs.
Mumba finished with four wickets for 47 runs, the man who virtually broke the back of the Tuskers innings.
The accurate Madziva bowled his eight overs for two wickets and only 14 runs, while the spinners Chisoro and Mavuta both took two wickets cheaply.
Rhinos appeared to have an easier than usual task, but it was complicated by the possibility of rain later.
Trevor Chibvongodze and Cephas Zhuwao opened for Rhinos against the bowling of Mpofu and Masuku.
Zhuwao played a very strange innings for him; he faced six balls without scoring a run, he did have one mistimed swish, but he was out to an uncertain shot to a short ball from Masuku that brushed his gloves and was caught by the keeper; five for one.
Tarisai Musakanda continued to display his old habit of flattering only to deceive; he hit Masuku for a superb straight four, and in the same over drove far too loosely and was caught at mid-on for seven.
At 16 for two Rhinos were none too happy, and just at this point the rain arrived.
It did not last long, but when the players returned Rhinos were soon in deeper trouble when Ndlovu caught and bowled PJ Moor for four.
In his next over Ndlovu was too good for Chibvongodze, trapping him lbw for 16, and with four down for 33, Tuskers were right on top.
Williams came on and in his first over, with the score still at 33, Remembrance Nyathi drove unwisely to be caught at mid-on, and it now looked all over for Rhinos, who were apparently going down without a fight.
However, remembering the magnificent Logan Cup century last month of Madziva, next man in, one could not say that yet.
Nyasha Mayavo made only 10 before he was bowled by Williams at 50 for six.
Chisoro showed some fight for a while to make 12 before he was caught at the wicket off Chris Mpofu at 67 for seven.
Madziva was trying to build an innings, but his new partner, Mavuta, seemed intent on going down with all guns blazing as he went for his strokes amid another light drizzle.
Soon Mavuta had passed 20 and had the highest individual score of the innings, but at 23, with the total 99, he was unexpectedly given out lbw, trying to turn a ball on his legs from Ndlovu on the leg side; the partnership had added 32 runs.
Mumba played a dour game in support of Madziva, but Rhinos’ last hope went when Madziva was lured out of his crease by Ndlovu and stumped for 27, having overtaken Mavuta; 112 for nine.
In the next over the match came to an end without any further runs, as Williams bowled Mumba to claim another victory for Tuskers, another win against the odds.
Ndlovu returned the best figures of four for 36, while Williams took three for 23, and Masuku took the first two vital wickets.
Across the city at Old Georgians, the other Pro50 Championship match between Rangers and Mountaineers had to be abandoned without a ball being bowled due to persistent rain and a wet outfield.
Brief score
Tuskers – 161 all out in 41.2 overs (Luke Jongwe 50, Craig Ervine 40, Sean Williams 17; Carl Mumba 4/47, Neville Madziva 2/14, Brandon Mavuta 2/15)
Rhinos – 112 all out in 30.1 overs (Neville Madziva 27, Brandon Mavuta 23, Trevor Chibvongodze 16; Ainsley Ndlovu 4/36, Sean Williams 3/23, Ernest Masuku 2/20)
Tuskers won by 49 runs
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