Craig Ervine, in the most brilliant one-day form of his life, scored 83 not out in another superb innings, but still suffered the frustration of being on the losing side for Tuskers in the Domestic Twenty20 Competition match against Eagles at Old Hararians Sports Club on Wednesday.
This match saw the two losing teams of the previous day pitted against each other.
The two teams had already played each other on Monday, when Tuskers had won by 24 runs; Eagles had still to win a match in this tournament.
On a hot sunny morning Tuskers won the toss and put Eagles in to bat.
Eagles decided to move their one successful batsman of the previous day, Cephas Zhuwao, down the order and open their batting with Tinashe Kamunhukamwe and Brian Mudzinganyama.
Kamunhukamwe hit up 14 without looking quite his best, and then took a swing at a full-length ball from Ainsley Ndlovu and was bowled at 19 for one in the fifth over.
This brought in Zhuwao, but first it was Mudzinganyama who began to shine, hitting John Nyumbu for two sixes and two fours in an over.
Zhuwao was almost equally violent against Ernest Masuku, hitting 16 off his first over, and then, facing Sean Williams, skyed a ball so high on the leg side that two fielders completely misjudged.
Thabo Mboyi proved the man to do the job for Tuskers, as he bowled a very intelligent and varied over which yielded only four runs and ended in Zhuwao skying a catch to mid-off.
He scored 37 off 17 balls, with three sixes and three fours, and the score was now 101 for two after 11 overs.
Mudzinganyama shortly afterwards reached his first fifty for Eagles, which took him only 34 balls.
Regis Chakabva was in now, but he made only six before skying a catch off Ndlovu; 118 for three in the 14th over.
Shortly afterwards Mudzinganyama’s fine innings ended with a run-out due to a fine throw from Cunningham Ncube attempting a second run; he made 62 off 38 balls, with three sixes and six fours.
Eagles were now 131 for four wickets in the 15th over.
Richmond Mutumbami and Elton Chigumbura had a hard act to follow, but they did a good job, with Mutumbami hitting Chris Mpofu for two successive leg-side sixes.
They managed to take the score to 197 for four wickets after 20 overs, Mutumbami scoring 36 off 21 balls and Chigumbura 27 off 17.
Ndlovu had two wickets for 30 runs, while the most economical was Mboyi, with the vital wicket of Zhuwao for 21 in three overs.
Brian Chari and Shoun Handirisi opened the batting for Tuskers.
They did a steady job, putting on 37 in just over six overs before Handirisi, the more aggressive, skyed a catch off Garwe for 23.
It turned out to be a little too steady, though, as the team was never quite able to catch up, with such a large total required.
Ervine soon began to dominate the bowling, scoring 11 runs off his first five balls, including a big six over cow corner that almost reached the road.
Chari too began to open up, hitting Mudzinganyama for two sixes in an over, while Ervine, not to be outdone, did the same in Magarira’s next over.
The team hundred came up in the 12th over, but a run rate of almost 12 an over was still needed.
In the 14th over Ervine reached his fifty off 25 balls, but even this scoring rate was barely adequate; 70 runs were needed off the last five overs.
Chari reached fifty off 42 balls, celebrated with a six, but then lofted a drive off Garwe that was caught at extra cover.
His 59 came off 44 balls with three fours and four sixes; the score was 149 for two wickets and the required run rate was 14.
The 18th over was bowled by Patrick Mambo, who bowled it with great skill, and Ervine and Sean Williams could score only three runs off it.
This virtually destroyed Tuskers’ hopes, as it left them with the virtually impossible task of scoring 43 off the last two overs.
Try as they might, the best they could manage was 182 for two; Ervine finished with 83 off 46 balls (five sixes and five fours), while Williams had 11 from eight balls.
The Eagles revival is underway, as they gained their first victory of the tournament after two defeats, and their history shows that they generally come through when it really matters.