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ON a pitch taking a lot of spin, Harare Metropolitan Eagles beat Midlands Rhinos by 296 runs before lunch on the final day of their Logan Cup match at Kwekwe Sports Club.

Kudzai Maunze, with his part-time off-breaks, took 11 wickets for 81 runs in the match, while regular left-arm spinner Herbert Chikomba took nine for 136.Eagles had set Rhinos 414 runs to win, and had them with two wickets down for 36 runs overnight. The weather had changed, and the sky was heavily overcast with rain expected during the day, so Eagles were worried that rain might spoil their hopes of victory. The overnight batsmen, Simba Gupo and Takudzwa Kaitano, had still to score when play began.

The batsmen scored slowly for more than half an hour before Kaitano (8) was given out caught at the wicket off Herbert Chikomba, to make the score 54 for three. Brad Wadlan was the next batsman to go, caught at the wicket off Kudzai Maunze for 12, to make the score 71 for four. Gupo, after facing 62 balls for his 13, was then yorked by Maunze at 72 for five.

James Bruce (3) skyed a catch off Chikomba, Nyasha Mayavo (2) swept a catch off Maunze, and Trevor Gwandu (2) sliced a catch to backward point off Chikomba, at which point the score was 88 for eight. Mike Chinouya skyed a slog to midwicket off Maunze, who had now taken 11 wickets in the match.

Trevor Chibvongodze finished top scorer of the innings with 28. His last-wicket stand of 24 with Tafara Chingwara (5 not out) took the total past 100 to 117. Chikomba finished the innings with five wickets for 37 and Maunze five for 46, the only Eagles bowlers to take wickets in the match.

Scores

Harare Metropolitan Eagles — 321 and 370-8 declared in 81 overs (Regis Chakabva 138, Kudzai Maunze 78, Tino Mutombodzi 69*; Michael Chinouya 3-39, Brad Wadlan 2-87)

Midlands Rhinos — 278 and 117 all out in 41.4 overs (Trevor Chibvongodze 28, Bothwell Chapungu 21, Tendai Maruma 13; Herbert Chikomba 5-37, Kudzai Maunze 5-46)

Harare Metropolitan Eagles won by 296 runs. — zimcricket