This match is set up for what could be an exciting finish
tomorrow morning, as Manicaland, set the highest total of the
match for victory, 210, finished the day more than halfway there,
on 117 with three wickets down
John Ward11-Mar-2000This match is set up for what could be an exciting finish
tomorrow morning, as Manicaland, set the highest total of the
match for victory, 210, finished the day more than halfway there,
on 117 with three wickets down. On the first day both innings
had been dominated by one player; a third and less experienced
player was to stand out in the Matabeleland second innings.
Development player Wisdom Sibiza, making his first-class debut,
held the batting together by carrying his bat throughout the
completed innings.The day’s play began in sunshine, with Matabeleland having a
59-run advantage on first innings which looked likely to prove
decisive unless they made a major hash of their second innings.
Charles Coventry and Sibiza gave their team no immediate cause
for alarm with the first double-figure opening stand of the
match.Gary Brent, though, struck back for Manicaland with three wickets
in the morning session. Although still bowling the occasional
loose ball, he found much more control, holding the ball down the
seam for most of the time, and found good movement and occasional
lift. Coventry (24), the more enterprising of the two batsmen,
gradually found his confidence and was feeling quite comfortable,
by his own admission, when he fended off a lifter from Brent to
be caught by Steve Lawson in the slips with the total on 34.Captain Mark Vermeulen came in but had only two to his name when
he played forward to Brent and was adjudged lbw, possibly outside
the line of off stump. Dion Ebrahim quickly received a flier
from Brent and gave a low chance in the gully that was put down.
Almost immediately a light shower of rain drove the players from
the field.Ebrahim was not to last long, though, turning a ball from Brent
firmly but straight to short leg Stuart Matsikenyeri, out for 3
with the score on 46 for three. Neil van Rensburg came in but
then came more rain; a total of 35 minutes was lost before lunch.
Play resumed with 14 minutes before lunch, and van Rensburg was
dropped at the wicket slashing outside off stump at Patrick Gada.
At the interval the score was 50 for three (Sibiza 16, van
Rensburg 2), and the light rain started again almost immediately.Only a few minutes were lost before play started again
afterwards. Van Rensburg played a handsome cover drive but then,
on 10, padded up to a ball from Soma that came back in and was
given out lbw. Brent was more erratic after lunch, but took a
fourth wicket with a bad ball, a short one down the leg side at
which the new batsman Warren Gilmour (0) swung and walked for a
tickle to the keeper. At 63 for five, Matabeleland were in
danger of throwing it away.Sibiza was still there, driving and missing occasionally but
keeping his head down the rest of the time and batting soundly.
He had sound support for a while from Shaun Commerford (14) and
Ian Engelbrecht (13), both out to Mark Burmester, to take the
score to 110 for seven. Then Matthew Townshend, son of former
national player and current Matabeleland manager Derrick, decided
to take the long handle and hit out powerfully, striking
Burmester for 4, 6 and 6 off successive balls, the sixes
travelling over midwicket and long-on. He was given out for 22,
caught at slip by Dion Yatras off off-spinner Steve Lawson,
although it appeared the ball came off his pad, and there was a
general feeling that the umpires were rather too trigger-happy,
as there were several dubious decisions in the innings.At tea the score was 148 for eight (Siziba 38, Brown 10), the
latter having scooped Lawson for two successive fours over mid-on
just before tea. The innings was to fold meekly soon afterwards
for just two more runs, though, both to Lawson, Brown being
smartly stumped by Neil Ferreira and Hitz, doubtless hindered by
nerves, driving loosely and lobbing a catch to Brent at cover
without scoring. Sibiza carried his bat through the innings for
a determined, if somewhat fortunate at times, 40. Brent, despite
his post-lunch wildness, finished with the commendable if
slightly flattering figures of 16-5-16-4.Manicaland were left to score 210 to win, the highest total of
the match – which seemed unlikely in the context of this match
but they had scored 357 against Midlands the previous weekend.
They made a positive start, with Ferreira and the promoted Brent
moving the score along with some enterprising strokes. Both
sides appeared more fired up than at any stage in the match,
especially when the score reached the thirties and it was clear
that Manicaland were not going to roll over.Matters changed immediately the spinners were brought on. In his
first over Engelbrecht yorked Ferreira (16), beating him in
flight, and the wicket-keeper left the field during play for the
first time in the match. Then in the next over Brown had Brent
caught by van Rensburg at slip, both wickets falling at 50.
Burmester’s policy seemed to be to wait for the wide ball and
hammer it for four, and for a long time it worked. His first
five scoring shots were all boundaries, although one was a thin
inside edge that just missed the stumps. He had a couple of
other narrow escapes, but fortune favoured the brave for quite a
while. At the other end Gada played a valuable supporting role,
playing the occasional good attacking stroke but generally
finding the fielder.Burmester was just past fifty when an attempted pull lobbed the
ball just over slip, but he did not enjoy his escape for long.
Moving down the pitch to Engelbrecht, he played over a ball to be
bowled. His 53 came off 69 balls and included 8 fours; it was
scored out of a stand of 59 with Gada. With the light
deteriorating rapidly, the umpires refused to come off until ten
minutes to six, and Gada (12) and night-watchman Terry Denyer (0)
fought successfully for survival and will carry on the fight in
the morning. Manicaland’s last seven batsmen need another 93
runs to win, and with their best men gone they will have to do
well to get them.
