A pitch giving a little help to bowlers resulted in another LoganCup match in which the first-innings advantage was settled on thefirst day, and when the lack of quality of much of the cricketwas compensated for by a goodly portion of interest and

John Ward25-Mar-2000A pitch giving a little help to bowlers resulted in another LoganCup match in which the first-innings advantage was settled on thefirst day, and when the lack of quality of much of the cricketwas compensated for by a goodly portion of interest andexcitement. Mashonaland batted poorly to total 170, whileMatabeleland looked to be matching them error for error until alusty ninth-wicket partnership took them into a 27-run lead bythe close, with two wickets still in hand.The pitch, according to the players, had more bounce than anormal BAC pitch, but as usual it had a bit of movement for theseamers early on, playing easier as the match went on.Matabeleland captain Mark Abrams therefore put Mashonaland in tobat on winning the toss and had instant reward, as Matabelelandtook wickets with the fifth balls of the first two overs. JohnRennie swung the first ball in and only just missed DarlingtonMatambanadzo’s off stump as he shouldered arms. Off the fifthball Matambanadzo, who had already flicked and missed outside offstump, nudged a catch to keeper Warren Gilmour without a run onthe board. At the other end, after a leg-bye, his replacementBrad Robinson drove a four through the covers but then presentedGilmour with another catch off a loose stroke outside off stump.Both batsmen revealed their lack of three-day experience andtechnique.Gavin Rennie looked in fine form, though, taking advantage ofsome loose bowling to play some fine strokes, especially off theback foot through the covers. After ten overs Mashonaland were42 for two, Rennie having 25 of them. Dirk Viljoen playedhimself in slowly, and the fifty partnership had just come upwhen John Rennie won a most unbrotherly lbw appeal against Gavin(32). Craig Evans flattered briefly but only to deceive, hittinghis first three Logan Cup fours of the tournament beforeobligingly hooking Mark Abrams down the throat of long-leg JasonHitz, making Mashonaland 87 for four.Viljoen was looking in good form, but as so often he failed to goon to a big score, caught at the wicket fishing outside off stumpfor 36 to Rennie, who persuaded his captain to keep him on forover after over. This was on the stroke of lunch, whenMashonaland were on 111 for five (Don Campbell 13).After the break, captain Gus Mackay was soon pulling and drivingfiercely in typical fashion, hitting four powerful fours and athree in his 19 before slashing Rennie to backward point – 133for seven. A solid partnership then formed between Campbell, whohad been most unconvincing at first, and Anton Hoffman, who byway of contrast was soon into his stride with some powerfulstrokes. Rennie carried on bowling until suddenly, in his 22ndover unchanged, he pulled a tendon and had to leave the field.Perhaps he was not properly warmed up. He had exploited theconditions superbly, getting both seam and swing, and taken fivegood wickets for 70.When the stand was finally broken, Hoffman (20) swinging a catchbackward of square leg to Abrams off Hitz at 170, the inningscollapsed without addition. Ian Engelbrecht came on to bowl hisfirst over of left-arm spin, and that proved to be enough.Campbell, trying to sweep, was yorked leg stump, and last manGary du Plessis sliced a catch to backward point, and Mashonalandhad put up another unconvincing batting performance, with most oftheir batsmen falling to soft dismissals. There was too muchextravagant strokeplay, a luxury when the pitch was rather slowand the ball not coming on to the bat. The innings lasted a mere45 overs.Mashonaland soon picked up a fortuitous wicket as Wisdom Siziba,before he had scored, flicked a ball off the full face of the batstraight into the chest of short-leg Brad Robinson, where itstuck. Mark Vermeulen immediately showed how he has grown inconfidence since his 197 against Midlands last weekend, takingtoll of some loose bowling with some cultured drives. Perhaps hewas a little over-confident at first, as he played a couple ofuppish strokes that just evaded the field, but he soon settleddown to reveal his genuine class, albeit against rathersecond-rate bowling.Charles Coventry kept him company with a useful 19 before beingcaught at the wicket driving outside the off stump, makingMatabeleland 49 for two at that stage. Dion Ebrahim also playedsome good strokes but did not last, being well caught slashing byCampbell, standing up to the medium-paced du Plessis. WithAbrams adjudged lbw to Viljoen without scoring, Matabeleland wentin to tea on 70 for four (Vermeulen 39).Afterwards Vermeulen continued his calm demolition of thebowling, playing some particularly exquisite cover drives. SanyoNyakutse looked uncertain at first, but then hit two off-sidefours off Hoffman and seemed to be settling down. But he wasthen deceived by the flight of Peacock and moved down the pitchto be yorked for 16, making Matabeleland 117 for five.Wicket-keeper Warren Gilmour immediately looked a soundreplacement, playing the bowling on its merits and allowingVermeulen to take centre stage.So well was Vermeulen batting that he looked set to challenge his197 of last week, but on reaching the eighties he became boggeddown. The bowling and fielding tightened up and he suddenlyfound himself unable to pierce the field. Eventually, with 87 tohis credit, he latched on to a short ball from Evans but hit itstraight down the throat of Dan Peacock on the midwicketboundary. Two more wickets quickly followed, as Gilmour (27) wascaught behind while fencing outside off stump, and IanEngelbrecht (0) was adjudged lbw despite playing well forward,both to Everton Matambanadzo.At 162 for eight, a first-innings lead by Matabeleland was now indoubt, but John Rennie and Jason Hitz battled it out, without arun coming off the bat for several overs. Finally Hitz slammedViljoen high to cow-shot corner for a four to take the lead, andfollowed it with another four to long leg. At which Rennie, notto be outdone, pulled Matambanadzo for two fours and then Viljoenfor a six. He continued to hit merrily until the close, whenMatabeleland finished on 197 for eight, with himself on 20 andHitz 10.