A fine all-round game for Ryan Butterworth secured Mashonaland Eagles a comfortable 31-run victory over Mountaineers in the Stanbic Bank 20 match in Harare.

Butterworth was instrumental in helping Mashonaland recover from 67 for 5 in the 14th over to a far healthier 133 by slamming 41 not out from 24 balls before taking two wickets in a miserly spell that helped earn his side a second win in the tournament.

After Andrew Hall had opted to make first use of the Harare pitch, Mashonaland slipped to 21 for 3 with English import Nick Compton falling to Tinashe Panyangara for 5 and Cephas Zhuwawo being castled by the wily offspin of Prosper Utseya. Wicketkeeper Regis Chakabva was the next to fall, run out by Mountaineers captain Hamilton Masakadza.

Ryan ten Doeschate led a cautious recovery, taking 30 balls to make 17, with Greg Lamb scoring a similarly ponderous 17. It laid the platform for a late-innings assault from Butterworth and Forster Mutizwa. Butterworth struck five fours and a six while Mutizwa made 35 off 22 balls to carry the score to 133.

Mountaineers were given a decent start by their openers until Butterworth struck with his seamers to remove Jonathan Beukes. Having worked their way to 54 for 2 at the halfway stage Mountaineers had the heart ripped out of their chase, losing three wickets in seven balls for the addition of four runs. Lamb had Sean Ervine caught behind and Timycen Maruma was run out next ball. Masakadza was then snared by Butterworth for 29 to complete the mid-innings collapse.

All eyes were on former South African allrounder Lance Klusener and, while he was together with Utseya, Mountaineers were still in the game. But having struck two boundaries on his way to 22, he fell to fellow former South Africa allrounder Hall who rattled his stumps. Wickets kept tumbling around Utseya, and by the time he was ninth man out for 20, Mountaineers were out of the game.