A pitch giving a little help to bowlers resulted in another Logan
Cup match in which the first-innings advantage was settled on the
first day, and when the lack of quality of much of the cricket
was compensated for by a goodly portion of interest and
John Ward25-Mar-2000A pitch giving a little help to bowlers resulted in another Logan
Cup match in which the first-innings advantage was settled on the
first day, and when the lack of quality of much of the cricket
was compensated for by a goodly portion of interest and
excitement. Mashonaland batted poorly to total 170, while
Matabeleland looked to be matching them error for error until a
lusty ninth-wicket partnership took them into a 27-run lead by
the close, with two wickets still in hand.The pitch, according to the players, had more bounce than a
normal BAC pitch, but as usual it had a bit of movement for the
seamers early on, playing easier as the match went on.
Matabeleland captain Mark Abrams therefore put Mashonaland in to
bat on winning the toss and had instant reward, as Matabeleland
took wickets with the fifth balls of the first two overs. John
Rennie swung the first ball in and only just missed Darlington
Matambanadzo’s off stump as he shouldered arms. Off the fifth
ball Matambanadzo, who had already flicked and missed outside off
stump, nudged a catch to keeper Warren Gilmour without a run on
the board. At the other end, after a leg-bye, his replacement
Brad Robinson drove a four through the covers but then presented
Gilmour with another catch off a loose stroke outside off stump.
Both batsmen revealed their lack of three-day experience and
technique.Gavin Rennie looked in fine form, though, taking advantage of
some loose bowling to play some fine strokes, especially off the
back foot through the covers. After ten overs Mashonaland were
42 for two, Rennie having 25 of them. Dirk Viljoen played
himself in slowly, and the fifty partnership had just come up
when John Rennie won a most unbrotherly lbw appeal against Gavin
(32). Craig Evans flattered briefly but only to deceive, hitting
his first three Logan Cup fours of the tournament before
obligingly hooking Mark Abrams down the throat of long-leg Jason
Hitz, making Mashonaland 87 for four.Viljoen was looking in good form, but as so often he failed to go
on to a big score, caught at the wicket fishing outside off stump
for 36 to Rennie, who persuaded his captain to keep him on for
over after over. This was on the stroke of lunch, when
Mashonaland were on 111 for five (Don Campbell 13).After the break, captain Gus Mackay was soon pulling and driving
fiercely in typical fashion, hitting four powerful fours and a
three in his 19 before slashing Rennie to backward point – 133
for seven. A solid partnership then formed between Campbell, who
had been most unconvincing at first, and Anton Hoffman, who by
way of contrast was soon into his stride with some powerful
strokes. Rennie carried on bowling until suddenly, in his 22nd
over unchanged, he pulled a tendon and had to leave the field.
Perhaps he was not properly warmed up. He had exploited the
conditions superbly, getting both seam and swing, and taken five
good wickets for 70.When the stand was finally broken, Hoffman (20) swinging a catch
backward of square leg to Abrams off Hitz at 170, the innings
collapsed without addition. Ian Engelbrecht came on to bowl his
first over of left-arm spin, and that proved to be enough.
Campbell, trying to sweep, was yorked leg stump, and last man
Gary du Plessis sliced a catch to backward point, and Mashonaland
had put up another unconvincing batting performance, with most of
their batsmen falling to soft dismissals. There was too much
extravagant strokeplay, a luxury when the pitch was rather slow
and the ball not coming on to the bat. The innings lasted a mere
45 overs.Mashonaland soon picked up a fortuitous wicket as Wisdom Siziba,
before he had scored, flicked a ball off the full face of the bat
straight into the chest of short-leg Brad Robinson, where it
stuck. Mark Vermeulen immediately showed how he has grown in
confidence since his 197 against Midlands last weekend, taking
toll of some loose bowling with some cultured drives. Perhaps he
was a little over-confident at first, as he played a couple of
uppish strokes that just evaded the field, but he soon settled
down to reveal his genuine class, albeit against rather
second-rate bowling.Charles Coventry kept him company with a useful 19 before being
caught at the wicket driving outside the off stump, making
Matabeleland 49 for two at that stage. Dion Ebrahim also played
some good strokes but did not last, being well caught slashing by
Campbell, standing up to the medium-paced du Plessis. With
Abrams adjudged lbw to Viljoen without scoring, Matabeleland went
in to tea on 70 for four (Vermeulen 39).Afterwards Vermeulen continued his calm demolition of the
bowling, playing some particularly exquisite cover drives. Sanyo
Nyakutse looked uncertain at first, but then hit two off-side
fours off Hoffman and seemed to be settling down. But he was
then deceived by the flight of Peacock and moved down the pitch
to be yorked for 16, making Matabeleland 117 for five.
Wicket-keeper Warren Gilmour immediately looked a sound
replacement, playing the bowling on its merits and allowing
Vermeulen to take centre stage.So well was Vermeulen batting that he looked set to challenge his
197 of last week, but on reaching the eighties he became bogged
down. The bowling and fielding tightened up and he suddenly
found himself unable to pierce the field. Eventually, with 87 to
his credit, he latched on to a short ball from Evans but hit it
straight down the throat of Dan Peacock on the midwicket
boundary. Two more wickets quickly followed, as Gilmour (27) was
caught behind while fencing outside off stump, and Ian
Engelbrecht (0) was adjudged lbw despite playing well forward,
both to Everton Matambanadzo.At 162 for eight, a first-innings lead by Matabeleland was now in
doubt, but John Rennie and Jason Hitz battled it out, without a
run coming off the bat for several overs. Finally Hitz slammed
Viljoen high to cow-shot corner for a four to take the lead, and
followed it with another four to long leg. At which Rennie, not
to be outdone, pulled Matambanadzo for two fours and then Viljoen
for a six. He continued to hit merrily until the close, when
Matabeleland finished on 197 for eight, with himself on 20 and
Hitz 10.
