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Wessels centuries set up Rhinos win

Mid West Rhinos wicketkeeper-batsman Riki Wessels joined an elite father/son group in the course of his team's 87-run win over Matabeleland Tuskers at Queen's Sports Club in Bulawayo. Wessels struck hundreds in both innings and in doing so joined his father, Kepler, as the seventh father/son combination to have achieved this milestone.

Wessels' first-innings ton, along with significant contributions from Malcolm Waller (96), Paul Franks (45) and Roland Benade (55) helped Rhinos to a commanding 348 after captain Vusi Sibanda opted to bat first. Terry Duffin led Tuskers' reply with a characteristically 97, but Rhinos' new-ball pair of Taurai Muzarabani and Ian Nicolson chipped steadily away at the batting line-up to ensure that their team held a first-innings lead.

Wessels' second-innings effort was, if anything, even more impressive than the first as, on a wearing pitch, he held a struggling Rhinos line-up together with an unbeaten 101 - the next highest score being Sibanda's 34. Rhinos declared at 238 for 9 to set Tuskers 331 to win but as the pitch began to exhibit increasing turn mere survival proved a daunting task. Paul Horton resisted with a valiant 95 and Steven Trenchard reached a maiden first-class fifty, but Waller ran through the lower-order with his offspin to collect figures of 5 for 48 as Tuskers were bowled out for 243.

Centuries from Mark Vermeulen and Jonathan Beukes, and a seven-wicket match haul for fast bowler Tendai Chatara, helped set up Mountaineers' innings victory over Southern Rocks at Masvingo Sports Club. After Mountaineers declared their first innings at 497 for 6 Rocks struggled to 221 and 274, Kenyan batsman Steve Tikolo scoring fifties in both innings, to slump to an innings-and-two-run loss.

Beukes - who reached his ninth first-class hundred before he was dismissed for 106 - shared in stands of exactly 100 with Tino Mawoyo (57) and 142 with Vermeulen, who scored a fluent 103 that included nine fours and three sixes. Against a largely inexperienced Rocks attack, Mountaineers' lower middle order cashed in as Greg Smith and Donald Tiripano both passed fifty and Timycen Maruma (44) and Benjamin Katsande (46) made significant contributions.

A demoralised Rocks batting line-up struggled in reply, Tikolo's 53 the only score of note as they were bowled out for 221 and forced to follow on, Chatara taking 4 for 65. Stuart Matsikenyeri's 88, and another half-century from Tikolo, helped them make a better fist of things second time round but they were two runs short of making Mountaineers bat again when Chatara dismissed Keith Kulinga to end their second innings at 274.

Tuskers 4th innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st33T DuffinPJ Horton
2nd44GM EwingPJ Horton
3rd73PJ HortonAJA Wheater
4th10CK CoventryPJ Horton
5th30PJ HortonSM Trenchard
6th3B StaddonSM Trenchard
7th0T MupariwaSM Trenchard
8th6TM MboyiSM Trenchard
9th9J NyumbuSM Trenchard
10th35N NcubeSM Trenchard