After playing a stellar role in the Southern Rocks’ Logan Cup triumph, Innocent Kaia helped them win the Pro50 Championship as well.
Innocent Kaia helps Southern Rocks win Pro50 Championship
The Mountaineers were bowled out for 230 after Southern Rocks captain Roy Kaia won the toss and opted to field at the Masvingo Sports Club. Joylord Gumbie top-scored with 51, while wicketkeeper Spencer Magodo made 34. For the Rocks, Shelton Mazvitorera (3-31) and Matthew Campbell (3-41) shared six wickets.
Matthew Campbell (67 in 79 balls) and Innocent Kaia (112 not out in 113) then as good as sealed the game with a 148-run opening stand inside 27 overs. Panashe Taruvinga chipped in with 22 before Roy Kaia (21 not out) completed the chase with his younger brother. The Rocks won by eight wickets inside 41 overs.
Note: Knowledge Kaia, the elder brother of Roy and Innocent, had also played for the Southern Rocks in domestic cricket.
This was the second time the Southern Rocks won the Pro50 Championship, after the 2010/11. This is also the first season when they won both the Logan Cup (the first-class tournament in Zimbabwe) and the Pro50 Championship.
Innocent Kaia played a significant role in the Rocks’ maiden double. In the Logan Cup, he had made 409 runs at 51.12 (including his highest first-class score of 176), but even that was overshadowed by his 500 runs at 83.33 (strike rate 93) in the Pro50 Championship. For context, his opening partner Matthew Campbell (328) was the second-highest scorer in the tournament, and only one other batter (Tarisai Musakanda of the Mid West Rhinos) went past 250.
He now has 726 runs in his last eight innings, at 121, across formats.
Final, Southern Rocks vs Mountaineers
vs
- Ball by ball Over
Innocent Kaia for Southern Rocks since February 19, 2026
| Date | Score | Opposition | Venue | Tournament |
| February 19 | 104* | Matabeleland Tuskers | Bulawayo | Pro50 |
| February 25-28 | 56 | Mid West Rhinos | Harare | Logan Cup |
| March 2 | 103 | Mid West Rhinos | Harare | Pro50 |
| March 8-11 | 176 | Mountaineers | Harare | Logan Cup |
| March 13 | 46 | Mountaineers | Harare | Pro50 |
| March 30-April 2 | 100 | Mashonaland Eagles | Harare | Logan Cup |
| April 4 | 29 | Mashonaland Eagles | Harare | Pro50 |
| April 11 | 112* | Mountaineers | Masvingo | Pro50 (final) |
Innocent Kaia has played two Tests, 19 ODIs, and 19 T20Is for Zimbabwe, but none of them since July 2024.
