Matabeleland draw with Midlands at Queens

Some brilliant batting from Douglas Marillier and a splendid bowling performance by Raymond Price were all in vain as Matabeleland and Midlands settled for a draw on the fourth and final day of their Logan Cup match at Queens Sports Club on Monday.

Marillier scored 163 runs as Midlands finished on 358 for eight off 92 overs in their second innings. This was after Price had captured eight wickets as Matabeleland took a 400-run lead, scoring 286 all out.

Price took the two remaining wickets as Matabeleland only lasted for 4.5 overs with the tail contributing a mere 10 runs, restricting them from posting a huge target. Keith Dabengwa was Price's first victim when he hit out at the left-arm spinner to be caught at deep cover by Travis Friend for one run. Matabeleland were finished when Price struck again, dismissing Wisdom Siziba who was caught at mid on by Innocent Chinyoka for 12 runs.

Price found a lot of turn from the crumbling pitch as he finished with remarkable figures of eight for 78 from 33 overs, at one stage bowling 11 successive maidens. He took all the Matabeleland wickets to fall to bowlers as the other two came from run-outs.

Midlands got off to a poor start in their chase when their opening partnership of Terrence Duffin and Vusumuzi Sibanda produced only six runs. Duffin was dismissed by Mpumelelo Mbangwa, caught at first slip by Mark Vermeulen, for a duck.

Sibanda went on to add 122 for the second wicket with Douglas Marillier and Midlands were back on course. Sibanda notched up his half-century off 57 balls before he became the second Midlands wicket to fall when he was caught by Mbangwa at long on off a Gavin Ewing delivery for 82 runs off 85 balls. Midlands went for lunch on 131-2.

Marillier reached the half-century mark off 70 balls before his 24-run partnership with Viljoen was broken as the Midlands captain went out for six runs, falling to spinner Ewing, caught at first slip by Vermeulen. Sean Ervine, who put up a brilliant performance with the bat in the first innings, shared an 82-run partnership with Marillier before he handed Ewing his third wicket, caught at long off by Andre Hoffman to depart for 35.

Marillier continued with his heroics and punished Matabeleland for their poor fielding after getting dropped several times. He went on to reach his century after facing 155 deliveries.

Travis Friend became the first and only batsman in the match to be bowled out when he was dismissed by left-arm spinner Keith Dabengwa for eight runs. Dabengwa grabbed his second wicket when he removed Donald Campbell, caught at deep mid wicket after scoring 14 runs, the same number of runs as he had scored in the first innings.

Ewing claimed his fourth wicket when he trapped Alester Maregwede leg before wicket for 16. Marillier became the prime target for the home bowlers, as he was certainly the man who could win the game for Midlands. He smashed everything that came his way, turning the match into a one-day affair. He went on the rampage, smashing pace bowler Mluleki Nkala for a six but, as fate would have it, he was to fall to the same bowler in the same over when he was caught in the slips by Barney Rogers. This brought an end to his innings that saw him face 244 balls and hit 12 fours and a six.

The situation grew tense with Matabeleland needing to dismiss the last two Midlands batsmen in the last two overs of the match. Chinyoka and Price did well to defend most of balls and force a draw. Midlands finished on 358 for eight in 92 overs, still 42 runs from reaching their target.

Ewing was the pick of the Matabeleland bowlers with four wickets from 30 overs in which he conceded 95 runs and bowled three maidens. Dabengwa claimed two wickets from 33 overs, giving away 108 runs, and bowled four maidens. Nkala and Mbangwa took one wicket each.