Rhinos – 290 and 126-5 in 42 overs (Prince Masvaure 40, Takudzwanashe Kaitano 30, Tarisai Musakanda 19*; Brighton Chipungu 5/49)
Mountaineers – 159 all out in 50.3 overs (Wellington Masakadza 42, Tendai Chatara 35, Joylord Gumbie 33; Brandon Mavuta 5/67, Ryan Burl 4/34, Kudakwashe Macheka 1/14)
Day 2 – Stumps: Rhinos lead by 257 runs
The excellent spin bowling of Brandon Mavuta and Ryan Burl shattered the Mountaineers middle order and led to Rhinos taking a big advantage in the first innings at Harare Sports Club.
Mountaineers began the day on 24 without loss against Rhinos’ score of 290 all out, with Joylord Gumbie on 15 and Kevin Kasuza four.
They made quite a good start, taking the score to 45 before Kasuza went for a big hit to leg off the leg-spinner Mavuta, only to be caught by Prince Masvaure.
The pre-lunch session may well turn out to be the decisive period of the match, as the Mountaineers top-order batting collapsed to the spinners.
Gary Chirimuuta fell to Kudakwashe Macheka for one, and then Mavuta had Timycen Maruma out lbw for eight.
Burl replaced Macheka, and in quick succession had Tony Munyonga (7) and Shingi Masakadza (0) caught by Tarisai Musakanda at slip – in fact, four of the six wickets to fall for 74 before lunch were to slip catches, two taken by Burl himself.
Gumbie was out caught by Burl off Mavuta for 33 in the last over before lunch, and Mountaineers were in deep trouble.
Donald Tiripano (2) fell after the break, caught off a skyer by Charles Kunje off Burl, and when Mavuta bowled Nyauchi for four Mountaineers were in deep trouble at 89 for eight wickets.
They needed to score 141 to avoid the possibility of being required to follow on, although Rhinos may well not have wanted to do so in the circumstances.
Wellington Masakadza was still there, and there came a welcome surprise for the beleaguered Mountaineers, as Tendai Chatara proved unexpectedly stubborn at No 10.
The pair began with care, but later started to attack the bowling with far more discrimination than some of their predecessors had shown.
They added 70 runs for the ninth wicket in just under an hour before Mavuta and Burl returned to dismiss them both in quick succession with the score on 159.
Rhinos thus gained a first-innings lead of 131 runs.
Mavuta had taken five wickets for 67 runs and Burl four for 34.
Rhinos enjoyed a fine start to their second innings, as Takudzwanashe Kaitano and Prince Masvaure put on 69 for the first wicket before another leg-spinner, Brighton Chipungu, came on and turned the innings, if not the match.
He had Kaitano caught for 30 and Masvaure for 40, quickly followed by Burl for one, to make it three wickets down for 85.
At 97 he moved Remembrance Nyathi lbw for 10, and then had Kunje caught at the wicket for 12, making the score now a less certain 100 for five wickets.
Before the close, though, Nyasha Mayavo (9 not out) and Musakanda (19 not out) had put on some useful runs, enabling Rhinos to reach 126 for five wickets.
Rhinos are now 257 runs ahead and still have five wickets in hand, so they are very much in the driver’s seat.
