MASHONALAND Eagles defeated Matabeleland Tuskers in the Domestic Twenty20 cricket competition by 12 runs (D/L method) at Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo, yesterday in a match disrupted by rain. REPORT BY KUDA MANGOMA SPORTS REPORTER
Eagles captain Elton Chigumbura won the toss and decided to bat first – a decision which saw Chamu Chibhabha score 78 runs off 57 balls which included five boundaries and three sixes.
Regis Chakabva added a good 46 while Elton Chigumbura, dropped for the West Indies tour of next month, added a mere four as Eagles reached 183/4 from their allotted 20 overs. Eagles sought some consolation after losing to the hosts on Wednesday in the Pro 50 Championship.
Rain disrupted the match during the Tuskers innings after which the target was revised to 174 after one over was removed. Half centuries from Gavin Ewing (72) and Charles Coventry (58) saw Tuskers make some ground on the total, but after the pair was removed the game was as good as over as the trio of Sean and Craig Ervine and Keith Dabengwa only managed a total of 23 runs between themselves.
That left Tuskers at 161/5 after former Zimbabwe skipper Prosper Utseya took 3/20 and Nathan Waller claimed 2/23, giving Eagles a 12-run win.
In Mutare, the MidWest Rhinos managed to defend their low total of 115, bowling the Mountaineers out as they defeated them by 16 runs.
