Tuskers – 157-5 in 19.5 overs (Clive Madande 53*, Munashe Chimusoro 29, Tawanda Maposa 22; Kundai Matigimu 2/30, Dion Myers 1/18, Ali Hasnain 1/25)
Eagles –
No Result
A superb half-century from Clive Madande illuminated the opening match of the 2025/26 Domestic T20 Competition between Tuskers and Eagles at Harare Sports Club on Monday – only for rain to cut short what promised to be an intriguing contest.
Tuskers had reached an impressive 157 for five when the heavens opened, forcing an abandonment without a result.
Put in to bat, Tuskers suffered an early double blow in the fourth over when Kundai Matigimu removed both Brian Chari (6) and Brian Mudzinganyama (8) to leave them reeling at 15 for two.
Milton Shumba and Munashe Chimusoro steadied the innings with a 55-run partnership, taking the total to 70 before Shumba was caught behind off Ali Hasnain for 22 from 26 balls.
Chimusoro continued to attack, striking 29 off 21 deliveries, but Dion Myers had him caught in the 13th over to make it 83 for four.
That set the stage for Madande’s sparkling knock.
He dominated a fifth-wicket stand of 72 with Tawanda Maposa, a partnership compiled in less than seven overs.
Madande reached his fifty off just 28 balls.
Tanaka Chivanga struck with the first ball of the final over, bowling Maposa for 22, but before the over could be completed heavy rain swept across the ground.
Play did not resume.
Madande finished unbeaten on 53 from 31 balls, including one six and five fours, while new batter Luke Jongwe managed two.
Matigimu returned the best figures for Eagles with two for 30 from his allotted four overs.
A persistent downpour ensured the players never made it back onto the field, resulting in the abandonment of the match.
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Mountaineers – 59 all out in 15.4 overs (Brian Bennett 16, Victor Nyauchi 13*, Timycen Maruma 9; Trevor Gwandu 3/10, Maaz Khan 2/7, Graeme Cremer 2/12)
Rhinos – 60-1 in 11 overs (Ben Curran 34*, Tarisai Musakanda 12*, Brendan Taylor 10; Tendai Chatara 1/11)
Rhinos won by nine wickets
Trevor Gwandu ripped through the Mountaineers middle order with three wickets in a single over as defending champions Rhinos cruised to a nine-wicket victory with nine overs to spare in Monday afternoon’s fixture at Harare Sports Club.
Opting to bat first, Mountaineers endured a nightmare start, losing two wickets for just two runs.
Tinashe Chiorah was bowled first ball by Antum Naqvi, while Nick Welch followed soon after – caught for one off Maaz Khan.
A brief recovery came through a third-wicket stand of 28 between Brian Bennett and Timycen Maruma, but it ended abruptly when Maruma was bowled by the first ball of Gwandu’s over for nine.
The damage worsened: Bennett was caught behind for 16 two balls later, and the final delivery of the over shattered Alistair Frost’s stumps, reducing Mountaineers to 31 for five.
The collapse continued.
Three wickets tumbled with the score stuck on 40 as Graeme Cremer removed Wellington Masakadza (5) and bowled Vincent Masekesa two balls later, while at the other end Muhammad Khwaja dismissed Matthew Welch for five.
Mountaineers limped to 59 all out in 15.4 overs, thanks largely to the resistance of Victor Nyauchi, who remained unbeaten on 13.
Gwandu finished with an outstanding three for 10 from three overs, while Cremer and Khwaja supported with two wickets each.
Rhinos’ chase was straightforward.
Brendan Taylor made 10 off 27 balls before falling to Tendai Chatara.
But Ben Curran’s fluent 34 not out from 26 deliveries and Tarisai Musakanda’s unbeaten 12 saw the champions home without fuss.
ZIMBABWE CRICKET
Rain douses Madande fireworks as Gwandu blitz inspires Rhinos
