Logan Cup off to an exciting start

[Detective RDS]

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Logan Cup off to exciting start

Sports Reporter

THE Logan Cup started off on a high note with the new franchises beefing up for the four-day first-class domestic games.

The first matches kicked off on Monday and were a harbinger of the great cricket to come.

The scale was more fluctuating at the Kwekwe Sports Club, in the clash betweeen Midwest Rhinos and Tuskers, as the flat wicket and slightly windy conditions provided the optimum slow bowler hunting ground.

It was a gold rush for wickets in the Midlands as the bowlers fully utilised the weakness of batsmen to score high totals.

Rhinos set a fair total of 329 runs out which turned out to be a mountain to climb for the Tuskers as they ended up trailing by 95 runs after posting 234.

Graeme Cremer became the first round’s leading wicket-taker, claiming 5-73 by the close of the third day.

Day three, however, belonged to John Nyumbu, the Tuskers off-spinner, who ended his day with three wickets.

Experienced batsman Vusimuzi Sibanda became the tournament’s first centurion with a well-struck 130 off 211 balls in the first innings for Tuskers.

Other notable batting performances came from Friday Kasteni, who scored 67 in his first innings and 75 not out on day three and Graeme Cremer who made 63.

Rhinos closed day three at 225 for five wickets, with a comfortable 307-run lead.

Mountaineers had Eagles on the back foot by end of day three at the Harare Sports Club.

Mountaineers declared on 493 for seven, leaving Eagles trailing by 138 runs.

Eagles were crippled by the good performance of the Mountaineers batting attack, the first involving skipper Hamilton Masakadza, who is the current highest scorer with a model score of 188 from 402 balls.

Other notable scores for the Mountaineers came from household names like Stuart Matsikenyeri and Tatenda Taibu, who scored 79 and 63.

Eagles captain Elton Chigumbura also had a good crack at the Mountaineers bowling by scoring 90 runs on the second day as well as Ryan Butterworth who made 63 off 98 balls.

Some wayward bowling gave batsmen the liberty to spend more hours on the crease giving ample time to wait for that bad delivery which was often sent rocketing flat beyond the boundary.

Only Shingirayi Masakadza managed to take three wickets by the third day going at a rate of 3.5 an over for his 20.

Mountaineers were on course for victory by the end of the third day.

Weekend Diary

Today: Tuskers v Midwest Rhinos, One Day International at Kwekwe Sports Club; Eagles v Mountaineers, One-Day International at Harare Sports Club.

Tomorrow: Zim U19 Team A v Zim U19 Team B at CFX Academy