Innocent Kaia continued his incredible form across formats with a career-best first-class knock in the Logan Cup on Monday (March 9).
Innocent Kaia makes career-best score in Logan Cup
Opening the batting for the Southern Rocks in the four-day affair against the Mountaineers, Kaia scored 176 runs, his fourth first-class hundred, and also bettered his highest score in the format. This was notably the third ton in his last four innings across formats.
Kaia lost his opening partner in just the fourth over after rain forced a delay in the start of the proceedings, when Panashe Taruvinga joined him in the middle. The duo ensured there were no further hiccups on Day 1, getting to 139-1 by stumps, with the opener batting eight short of his hundred.
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Kaia would go on to complete his century, while the 20-year-old Taruvinga brought up his fourth first-class fifty. The duo put their side on top with a 225-run stand, with the youngster getting dismissed for a patient 142-ball 81. Rocks’ captain and Innocent’s elder brother, Roy, couldn’t hang around for long, following Taruvinga to the dressing room just a couple of overs later.
The opener had, by then, completed a first-ever 150 in first-class cricket and was ultimately the fourth Rocks wicket to fall after having scored 176 off 252, with the team score at 294. Jonathan Campbell waged a lone battle after that, remaining unbeaten on 64 as wickets fell around him. He, along with Taruvinga and Kaia, was the only batter to reach double digits.
Match 15, Southern Rocks vs Mountaineers
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Rocks declared their innings for 350-9 just before stumps on Day 2 to have a shot at the Mountaineers’ top order, who managed to remain unscathed for 17 runs in six overs by stumps.
Kaia, notably, had hit a match-winning 104 not out off 89 deliveries in the Southern Rocks’ Pro50 Championship win over the Matabeleland Tuskers on February 19. He followed it up with a 56 against the Rhinos in a Logan Cup fixture before hitting a second consecutive List A ton (103) against the Rhinos on March 2.
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