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Mufudza, Shingi script easy Mountaineers win

Shingirai Masakadza celebrates his return catch to dismiss Kane Williamson Getty Images

In what turned out to be a battle for second on the points table, Mountaineers got the better of Mashonaland Eagles courtesy a solid all-round performance. First their top and middle order contributed cameos around brisk half-centuries from Roy Kaia and Kudzai Sauramba to lift them to 267 for 5, before seamer Shingi Masakadza and offspinner Tapiwa Mufudza took the new ball and claimed four apiece to derail the chase. Kaia and Sauramba both made career-best scores, Kaia's 85 not out coming off 102 balls and Sauramba's 75 coming off just 53 with a four and five sixes. For Eagles, the only showing of note came from captain Greg Lamb, who made 73 off 74 in the chase before his team fell to a 60-run defeat.

Rhinos suffered yet another defeat - their sixth in seven games - with a four-wicket loss to Matabeleland Tuskers, who stayed on top of the table ahead of the tussling Mountaineers and Eagles. Rhinos chose to bat and the decision backfired on them, with seamer Thabo Mboyi carving up the top order. He claimed Bothwell Chapungu and Bradley Wadlan off successive balls in the fourth over, and Rhinos never really recovered. They ended with 185, bowled out in the 44th over, and Mboyi finished with figures of 7.2-0-21-4. Tuskers' were rocked early in the chase, falling to 3 for 2 in the first over, but half-centuries stands from Godwill Mamhiyo and Brian Chari and then Luke Jongwe and Keith Dabengwa were enough to see them home in the small chase.

Eagles 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st18C ZhuwaoKO Maunze
2nd4C ZhuwaoKR Kondo
3rd1KR KondoRP Burl
4th30RP BurlJ Gumbie
5th34GA LambJ Gumbie
6th97GA LambWP Masakadza
7th5TN GarweWP Masakadza
8th4TN GarweAM Manyumwa
9th13T MuzarabaniAM Manyumwa
10th1T MuzarabaniLT Gumunyu-Manatsa