Mashonaland win by 2 wickets in Harare

It was a match that swung as often as a Dixieland band. Mashonaland and Matabeleland in turn took the advantage, only to lose it again. There was fine bowling by Blignaut, Hondo and Mbangwa; there were invaluable fifties from Rennie and Rogers, Andy Flower, Evans and Blignaut; but in the end Matabeleland's gallant struggle failed as the home side won by just two wickets.

On another hot, sunny day at Harare Sports Club Matabeleland won the toss and decided to bat. They lost Mark Vermeulen (1) in the first over, hanging his bat out limply to a short ball outside the off stump from Andy Blignaut and presenting wicket-keeper Tatenda Taibu with the simplest of catches.

That did not inhibit Charles Coventry, who played a superb drive over extra cover off Gus Mackay that almost carried for six. But Blignaut was finding some life from the early-morning pitch and troubling the batsmen; Coventry lobbed a ball off his gloves towards the covers when 13, but the diving fielder failed to hold it. He then pulled a ball magnificently for four, only to be bowled in the same over, for 17, by a superb yorker.

Rennie began slowly, but then successfully, if riskily, took the attack to Blignaut; at one stage he seemed to alternate between audacious fours and plays-and-misses. He settled in, though, as did Barney Rogers, and Rogers recorded a fine fifty. The Mashonaland fielders more than once made no effort to hide their frustration during a partnership of 99, before Rogers was given out caught at the wicket off Brian Murphy for 56.

Trevor Gripper belied his outdated reputation as a stonewaller with 34 off 39 balls. Rennie played a mixture of an innings, batting rather too slowly before reaching fifty, but then playing some fine strokes before eventually holing out on the boundary for 89. After his dismissal the innings declined sharply, with the last six wickets falling in a flurry for 23 runs. Douglas Hondo took three of them, ironically in a second spell that was less impressive than his first, when he moved the ball cleverly.

Matabeleland must have been disappointed that their total was only 236 for nine after such a firm foundation. They could not have wished for a better start when Mashonaland replied, however. Captain Pommie Mbangwa struck in his first over, the second of the innings, by trapping experimental opener Tatenda Taibu lbw and then having Stuart Carlisle caught at the wicket. Mashonaland were 4 for two wickets, but with the knowledge that as long as the Flower brothers were at the crease they had no right to be confident.

The situation naturally did not affect the two Flowers, who calmly went about rebuilding the innings. Grant was the more aggressive at first, cutting Streak for two powerful off-side boundaries in an over, but in the end the national captain got his revenge with a faster delivery that ripped through his defences and uprooted his off stump. He made 25. Dion Ebrahim (3) was then superbly caught by wicket-keeper Wisdom Siziba, diving low to his right, also off Streak, and with the score 52 for four Matabeleland could not contain their jubilation.

But this brought in Craig Evans, who settled in with determination before attacking the bowling in his usual powerful style. The pair added 97 with ease and it looked as if this partnership would turn the match. Then Evans drove off-spinner Gavin Ewing straight into the midriff of Streak in the covers, to depart for 64 - and this was to prove another turning point.

Then came the big one. Andy Flower reached his fifty but then tried to sweep the other off-spinner, Trevor Gripper, only to get a top edge and be caught by the keeper. Matabeleland were ecstatic, and even more so as Murphy departed without scoring two balls later. In the 36th over Mashonaland were 156 for seven; the last three wickets needed 81 in 14 overs.

There was still a danger with two big hitters Blignaut and Mackay together, both with first-class centuries to their credit. They added 40 together and Blignaut in particular was looking dangerous when, as so often in this competition, there was a run-out, Mackay (7) taking off for a single, to be left stranded by Blignaut and easily run out by Streak.

With Waddington Mwayenga as his partner, Blignaut continued his assault for victory. Mashonaland were well ahead on run rate, so the onus was on the visitors to take the last two wickets. Streak returned, but could not find his line, and Blignaut hit him for a four and a six off successive balls. Mbangwa had left the field through injury, a crucial blow, and Mwayenga survived an over from Rennie.

With three to win, Streak bowled a waist-high full toss that was no-balled and hit Blignaut on the fingers, holding up play for several minutes. He took a single off the next ball to level the scores, but Streak put the net delivery wide down the leg side; it also ran for four and Mashonaland were once again victors, but this time very narrowly. Blignaut finished unbeaten with 58 off 44 balls, with three fours and five sixes.