Defending champions Mashonaland Eagles finally shook the monkey off their backs after securing a commanding 70-run victory in their final Stanbic Twenty20 round-robin cricket match over fellow strugglers Southern Rocks at Harare Sports Club yesterday.
With the victory Eagles booked a date with MidWest Rhinos in a play-off match tomorrow.
The semi-final proper is between Mountaineers and Matabeleland Tuskers as they battle for a place in Sunday’s final.Rocks skipper Alester Maregwede won the toss and elected to field before restricting Eagles for what looked to be an easily attainable 147 for seven in their allotted 20 overs.
The Masvingo-based franchise, however, never got going and in the end fell way short of the target as they were bundled out for a measly 77 runs in 16,2 overs with Maregwede top scoring with 15 runs.
Man-of-the-match, Eagles captain Elton Chigumbura top scored for the defending champions with a 34-ball 47 which included two trademark sixes and a boundary. Chigumbura shared a 60-run partnership with Englishman Paul Trego, who scored 45 off 42 balls.
