[Match Thread] Tuskers v Eagles (Logan Cup)

[maehara]

Matabeleland Tuskers v Mashonaland Eagles
Queen's Sports Club, Bulawayo, 12-15 January 2011

Tuskers team: Horton, Duffin, Ewing*, Dabengwa, Coventry, Wheater†, Staddon, Williams, Ncube, Mpofu, Mupariwa
Eagles team: Masvaure, Zhuwawo, Mutizwa*, Butterworth, Lamb, Chakabva†, Hall, Mbofana, Keegan, Mutombodzi, Chinyoka

[maehara]

Day One close: Tuskers 188/4 (91ovs; Duffin 79, Keegan 2/24), Eagles yet to bat.

[maehara]

Day Two close: Tuskers 339, Eagles 32/1 (15ovs; Masvaure 17*, Mpofu 1/9). Eagles trail by 307 runs.

[maehara]

Strange things afoot in Bulawayo, with the sides seemingly determined to get a result. Even though there's another day's play scheduled.

Eagles closed on 32/1 at close of day two. They declared without any further play this morning, at which point Tuskers promptly declared their second innings without facing a ball (technically forfeited their innings, I think) and put Eagles back in. That set Eagles a 2nd-innings target of 308 to win.

Matabeleland Tuskers 339 & 0/0d
Mashonaland Eagles 32/1d & 148/3

Play continues, and Eagles currently require 160 runs more with 7 wickets in hand.

[maehara]

Result:
Tuskers 339 & forfeit
Eagles 32/1d & 242
Tuskers win by 65 runs.

[Conant]

Some Hansie Cronje 'chicanaries' at play here...

[Boundary]

Same thing to a lesser extent happened during last week's Tuskers match against the Rocks. Either the Tuskers really hate draws or it's a nationwide theme in the Logan Cup this year. I love the competitive spirit though, even though it's a strange way of showing it

[maehara]

Same thing to a lesser extent happened during last week's Tuskers match against the Rocks. Either the Tuskers really hate draws or it's a nationwide theme in the Logan Cup this year. I love the competitive spirit though, even though it's a strange way of showing it

Point system this year really doesn't encourage draws (1pt for the 1st-innings lead and that's it), so I can see why the teams would make every effort to go for a result. Just wondering when the last time I saw a forfeited innings was, though..!