HARARE Metropolitan Eagles took a firm grip in their match against Bulawayo Metropolitan Tuskers at Harare Sports Club yesterday, as they ran up a total of 379 and then removed eight of their opponents’ batsmen for only 94 runs.

Tino Mutombodzi, with 86, took the main batting honours of the day, while the bowling successes were led by Nathan Waller, who took five wickets in an innings for the first time in his career by means of some excellent medium-fast seam bowling.

Play started about 18 minutes early on the second morning to make up for time lost to the rain on the previous evening.

No run was scored or attempted for 17 balls, as the overnight batsmen Mutombodzi (on 45) and Waller (3) played very defensively, until Mutombodzi finally pushed a ball into the covers and they took a quick single.

Gradually the batsmen began to open up, and Mutombodzi reached 50 off 84 balls when he drove a ball from John Nyumbu high over the field to the extra-cover boundary.

For a long time Waller played a good supporting rôle, and was just beginning to look in form when he miscued a pull off Chris Mpofu and skied a catch to midwicket for 16; 286 for six.

Trevor Garwe hit the first ball he faced, from Mpofu, for a cracking four through the covers, and then Mutombodzi, looking less confident against the second new ball, edged a ball from Thabo Mboyi, but Richmond Mutumbami, the wicketkeeper, was unable to hold a difficult low chance.

Off-drives were Garwe’s favourite stroke in his 14 runs, but he played one too many and was caught at mid-off; 314 for seven. Jalat Khan got off the mark with a nonchalant on-drive for six off Nyumbu.

Mutombodzi all this time was playing with care and restraint as he edged closer to his century.

However, on 86, Luke Jongwe came on to bowl, and Mutombodzi drove his second ball hard into the covers, but Taffy Mupariwa took a good low catch to make the score 344 for eight.

Soon after this lunch was taken with the score 344 for eight, Khan on 14 and Tanyaradzwa Munyaradzi on four.

After lunch Khan fell for 22, miscuing a pull off the bowling of Jongwe and being caught at midwicket; 362 for nine.

The last pair of Munyaradzi and Taurai Muzarabani briefly enjoyed themselves, both hitting a six, before the latter holed out at deep midwicket off Nyumbu for just that six runs. Munyaradzi was unbeaten with 20, and the total was 379.

Nyumbu took four wickets for 101 runs, while Chimhamhiwa had three wickets, Jongwe two and Mpofu one.

Two left-handers, Nkosana Mpofu and Mupariwa, opened the Tuskers batting to the bowling of Muzarabani and Garwe.

Mupariwa never looked comfortable, and scored just four off 30 balls before Muzarabani had him caught at the wicket at 23 for one. Brian Chari, that brilliant but inconsistent batsman, had one of his bad days on this occasion, adjudged lbw to Muzarabani with a ball that came back sharply from the off; he made six off 13 deliveries.

A few minutes later Mutumbami (2) clearly showed his displeasure at being given out caught at the wicket, also off Muzarabani.

Scores

Harare Metropolitan Eagles — 379 all out in 112 overs (Tino Mutombodzi 86, Joylord Gumbie 77, Sikandar Raza 37; John Nyumbu 4/101, Steve Chimhamhiwa 3/50, Luke Jongwe 2/50)

Bulawayo Metropolitan Tuskers — 94 for 8 in 36.1 overs (Nkosana Mpofu 29, Charles Kunje 23; Nathan Waller 5/29, Taurai Muzarabani 3/25)

Stumps – Day 2: Bulawayo Metropolitan Tuskers trail by 285 runs with two wickets remaining in the first innings — zimcricket

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