Heath Streak bowling puts Matabeleland on top in Bulawayo

Matabeleland bowlers turned on a classy act when they bowled out Mashonaland A on the first day of their Castle Lager Logan Cup cricket competition at Queens Sports Club on Friday. Senior national team strike bowler Heath Streak led the Matabele assault with five wickets, almost including a hat-trick, as Mashonaland A were all out for 270 in 83 overs. Matabeleland in reply closed on 32 without loss in 13 overs.

Matabeleland won the toss and made an unexpected decision, sending their opponents in to bat first. The ploy worked wonders as the Mashonaland A top-order batting line-up, consisting mainly of national team stars, failed to live up to expectations. They could not stand the pressure from the home bowlers.

Streak took three wickets in his third over, all his victims being his national teammates. His first victim was Grant Flower who was caught at slip by Gavin Ewing for 4 runs. Senior national skipper Stuart Carlisle faced only two balls, departing for a duck after he was caught at slip by Gregory Strydom. Streak then had Gavin Rennie caught by Strydom for a duck with the last ball of his third over. Mashonaland were left reeling at 5 for three in six overs and it seemed they would not reach three figures.

Mark Vermeulen and opener Brendon Taylor neutralised the Matabeleland bowlers and in the process put life in the Mashonaland A innings. Vermeulen was the more aggressive but he rode on his luck after being dropped four times. He went on to punish Matabeleland for their poor fielding and scored 60 runs, sharing a 99-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Taylor. He finally ran out of luck as his drive off Streak was caught at mid-wicket by Mpumelelo Mbangwa. Taylor fell four runs from a half-century when he was caught at midwicket by Keith Dabengwa for 46 runs.

Young Elton Chigumbura went on to score 70 runs, sharing a seventh-wicket stand with Tatenda Taibu of 63 runs, and that made sure the visitors scored a respectably total. Mashonaland were eventually bundled out for 270 in 83 overs.

Matabeleland in reply were in firm control of proceedings at the close, with openers Stuart Walker and Wisdom Siziba not out on 17 and 14 respectively.