Mountaneers clinch fifth Logan Cup title
Story by Raynald Ngwarati, Sports Reporter
THE fate of the 2023/24 Logan Cup season has been decided after Mountaneers bullied Mashonaland Eagles to be crowned first-class cricket champions for the fifth time on Saturday.
It only took three days for the Mountaneers to aggressively get hold of the Logan Cup title after humiliating the Mashonaland Eagles on Saturday in their final Logan Cup match at Old Hararians Sports Club.
Brian Bennet and Tony Munyonga scored twin double centuries in the Mountaneers’ first innings to propel the Manicaland-based side to victory.
Bennett was resilient in an innings that lasted seven hours and 10 minutes, during which he faced 259 deliveries and hit three sixes and 33 fours to fire his side to a mammoth 631 runs for seven wickets declared.
The Eagles had a dismal response as Tendai Chatara and Wellington Masakadza rattled through the Eagles batsmen which saw the Eagles beginning day three of the affair at 263 for six wickets in their first innings.
Romario Roach was at the crease, attempting to resuscitate the Eagles’ innings, but his dismissal on 37 sounded a death knell to the Eagles’ first innings as his tail-end companions could not sustain the momentum being bowled out for 302 runs.
With a mammoth 425-run lead, the Mountaineers, enforced the follow-on and Chatara was lethal again with the ball as the Eagles gave up the battle having been bowled out for 206 runs in their follow-on innings to give the Mountaneers an innings and 123-run victory.
It was more than victory for the Mountaneers as the points they earned from the victory saw them overtake Southern Rocks’ tally of 122 to finish with 130 at the summit of the table to be crowned the Logan Cup 2023/24 season champions.
