Chari hits century as Tuskers wallop Mountaineers

Mountaineers – 181-6 in 25 overs (Richmond Mutumbami 55, Roy Kaia 48, Joylord Gumbie 30; Sean Williams 3/39, Ainsley Ndlovu 1/23, Chris Mpofu 1/38) Tuskers – 183-1 in 21.4 overs (Brian Chari 102, Cunningham Ncube 39, Craig Ervine 38*; William Mashinge 1/10)

Tuskers won by nine wickets (Duckworth-Lewis method)

The prodigious talent of Brian Chari was on full show at Old Hararians today, when the Tuskers opening batsman scored a brilliant century to hand his team an amazing victory over the powerful Mountaineers side by no fewer than nine wickets.

Brian Chari hits century as Tuskers wallop Mountaineers

He scored 102 not out off only 72 balls, in chasing down a stiff target in a match limited to 24 overs per side by the weather, pulverising a powerful attack with the greatest of ease.

A steady morning drizzle prevented play until the afternoon, but finally it was decided to make a start at two o’clock in somewhat damp conditions, although the sun soon came out quite strongly.

It was most unfortunate that this vital match, between the two top teams at this stage of the competition, with two victories in two matches each, should be so seriously reduced in these circumstances, but it did prove most memorable, thanks to Chari.

Tuskers won the toss and decided it was better to chase a target in such a short match, and so put Mountaineers in to bat.

Both teams had to play this match almost like a T20 game, and Mountaineers naturally went all out for runs right from the start.

Joylord Gumbie and Kevin Kasuza scored at a run a ball as they put on 43 for the first wicket together before Sean Williams came on to bowl and snared them both in successive overs, Kasuza stumped for 18 and Gumbie bowled for 30.

However, Roy Kaia and Richmond Mutumbami scored at an even faster rate, putting the Tuskers bowlers under great pressure.

The only bowler able to stop the torrent of runs was the left-arm spinner Ainsley Ndlovu, who bowled his five overs for only 23 runs and with his final delivery bowled out Kaia for 48.

Kaia had played some brilliant strokes to score his runs off 38 balls, with five fours and a six.

The following over saw Mutumbami reach his fifty with his fifth six (curiously enough, he hit no fours) off only 34 balls, but three deliveries later he was caught in the deep off Chris Mpofu for 55, making the score 158 for four in the 21st over.

Williams returned for his final over and promptly bowled Shingi Masakadza for four; 164 for five in the 23rd over, and Williams’ final figures were three for 39.

The later batsmen swung and scrambled against some rather inaccurate bowling, Kudzai Sauramba was run out for five, and then Wellington Masakadza brought the innings to a good closure by hitting Mpofu for six off the final delivery of the innings, to finish with 11 not out.

The final total off the 24 overs was 181 for six, a daunting task for Tuskers.

Chari and Cunningham Ncube took a couple of overs to get going, but then began to find the boundary.

The team fifty came up without loss in the seventh over, well up with the required run rate, and Donald Tiripano, so economical in the Test matches against Sri Lanka, was today suffering violence at the hands of Chari, who hit him for four fours in two overs.

After 10 overs the score had reached 78, and Tuskers were well on course for victory — as long as they could keep their wickets intact.

In the following over Chari reached his fifty in grand style, hitting Wellington Masakadza for six; it took him just 38 balls.

The hundred came up in the 13th over, with both batsmen going great guns.

For their part, the Mountaineers’ attack was not at its best, as the bowlers did not always bowl to their fields and too many boundaries were conceded.

Kaia, so successful with the ball in recent matches, was next to feel the whip, going for 26 runs in two overs, but then, finally, with the score on 117, William Mashinge did the trick for Mountaineers, having Ncube skying a big hit that was held by the wicket-keeper for 39.

Ncube scored his runs off 34 balls, with one four and three sixes, and he had done a superb job.

Craig Ervine was next in, and was soon pushing the score along well with ones and twos before hitting two successive fours off Shingi Masakadza.

If Chari had reached his fifty in grand fashion, he put that in the shade when he reached his magnificent century with two successive sixes off Victor Nyauchi, no mean paceman.

He reached three figures off only 71 balls, proof positive of what a magnificent batsman he could be even in international cricket if only he learns to manage his talent and temperament consistently better.

In the next over Ervine hit another boundary to clinch a remarkable victory for his team, with no fewer than 14 balls to spare, taking Tuskers to the top of the Pro50 Championship table with three victories in three matches.

Ervine finished with 38 off 24 balls, but it was Chari’s innings, with six sixes and seven fours, that made light of a difficult target and brought success to a team that can now definitely be called underrated.

The only bowler not to travel for more than a run a ball was William Mashinge, who bowled only two overs for 10 runs and the wicket of Ncube, and Mountaineers no doubt will regret his ankle injury which prevented him from bowling more.

Meanwhile, Tinashe Kamunhukamwe blasted an unbeaten half-century as Eagles made short work of Rhinos in a rain-truncated Pro50 Championship match played at Harare Sports Club today.

His 56-ball 81, which included nine fours and three sixes, inspired the defending champions to victory by nine wickets on the Duckworth-Lewis method.

Soon after Eagles won the toss and asked Rhinos to bat first, the skies opened up and play could only commence at 1345 hours, with the match now reduced to 25 overs a side.

Rhinos made a total of 141 for seven, with Tarisai Musakanda’s 40 being the top score of the innings, while PJ Moor chipped in with 20.

There were two wickets apiece for Keith Jaure and Daniel Jakiel.

Eagles lost only the wicket of Regis Chakabva (17), as Kamunhukamwe (81 not out) and Kudzai Maunze (32*) carried their team home in 17.1 overs.