Rennie saves Mashonaland from embarrassment

CFX ACADEMY v MASHONALAND: DAY 2

By John Ward

If it had not been for a superb innings of 152 by discarded Zimbabwe opener Gavin Rennie, Mashonaland would have been in a position of considerable embarrassment at the end of the second day's play at the Academy headquarters at Country Club, Harare. As it was, they emerged with a first-innings lead of only 27 and the match is well poised going into the final day.

The Academy resumed their first innings at 194 for six, and the overnight pair of Paul Strang and Jason Young took their partnership to 103 before Young, trying to hit off-spinner Dan Peacock over the top, hit a catch straight to Anton Hoffman at midwicket to be out for a highly commendable 47 on his debut. The Academy were now 214 for seven.

Paul Strang, now past his fifty, continued to accumulate with skill and determination, but lost Clement Mahachi for 3, lbw to Matambanadzo. Then, in bending his knees to cut a ball to the boundary, he felt something give at the side of his left knee-cap. He was forced to call for a runner, but before long was out to a ball from Everton Matambanadzo that moved back, taking him by surprise and bowling him through the gate for 72. Again Matambanadzo bowled with much variety, but his slower balls often became full tosses, which the inexperienced batsmen were unable to take advantage of.

The last pair of Gregg Haakonsen (7) and Douglas Hondo (2 not out) needed to add seven to reach 250 and a second batting bonus point, but the former was trapped lbw by Brighton Watambwa with the score on 245. One criticism of the Mashonaland players was that there was far too much unnecessary appealing while they were in the field.

The Academy bowlers, less experienced than their Mashonaland counterparts, lacked the line and length to keep it tight when Mashonaland batted, and openers Gavin Rennie and Brad Robinson were soon off to a brisk start. Rennie, omitted from the West Indian tour due to poor league form, had something to show the selectors and he did in style, driving fluently on both sides of the wicket and playing some sweetly timed cuts. To make matters worse for the Academy, Strang was unable to bowl, although he was on the field until mid-afternoon fielding at slip and directing operations. At lunch Mashonaland were 69 without loss (Rennie 43, Robinson 19).

The stand was broken on 72 when Robinson (20) off-drove a ball and charged down the pitch expecting a run, only for Alester Maregwede to make a superb stop and throw the ball to the keeper with the batsman quite unable to get back. Trevor Madondo came in and played a few exquisite strokes, especially a couple of front-foot drives to the off despite the slow pitch, showing what a fine batsman he could be when he gets his head right. So comfortable did the pair appear that a major partnership looked to be in the offing, when Madondo was deceived into offering no stroke to a ball from Friend that moved back and hit his off stump. Mashonaland were now 136 for two.

Rennie was now approaching three figures, but in the eighties he snicked a low hard chance off Friend to the left of Strang at slip, and the fielder in attempting to reach it caused further damage to his knee and had to leave the field. Rennie duly moved to his century, scored off 153 balls, but then the Academy fought back. First Dirk Viljoen (13) snicked a straight-forward catch to the keeper off a rather erratic Haakonsen. Craig Evans never looked comfortable, had difficulty in piercing the field, and had only 2 to his credit when he tried to pull a ball from Douglas Hondo and the resultant skyer was well held at backward square leg by substitute fielder Andrew Stone.

This really brought the Academy to life, just before the tea interval, and they were to get a further wicket when captain Trevor Penney (1) unaccountably shouldered arms to a ball from medium-pacer John Vaughan-Davies that moved back and hit his off stump, reducing Mashonaland to 181 for five (Rennie 102) as they took tea.

The Academy missed the chance of a further wicket soon after tea, as Don Campbell had only 3 when he was dropped at slip off Douglas Hondo. He stood firm with Rennie until after the drinks interval as they added 79 together, Rennie easily passing his 127 for a ZCU President's XI against the Sri Lankan tourists to record his highest first-class score. There is to be no stewards' inquiry into what went into the drinks, but certainly Mashonaland seemed in a hurry to get off the field after the break. Or perhaps somebody reminded them that it was Greg Lamb's 19th birthday and they decided to give him the most generous of presents.

First of all Campbell (19) got a leading edge to be caught by Young at cover off Lamb, bowling off-spin as something of a desperation move. This the sixth wicket fell at 260. Then Rennie, trying to pull the same bowler, skyed a catch that was held by wicket-keeper Delport running round towards square leg after a superb 152. He had played a very sound innings, although perhaps he was lucky in the 130s when he suddenly swung fiercely at a yorker from Young that just missed the stumps and beat the keeper for four byes.

Dan Peacock fell first ball, lbw to Vaughan-Davies, but 11 runs came off the rest of the over. Then Lamb wrapped it up by having Everton Matambanadzo (7) pulling a catch straight to Young at midwicket and trapping last man Brighton Watambwa lbw without scoring. Anton Hoffman (4) was left unbeaten and the total was 272. The last five wickets had fallen within three overs for 12 runs, and Lamb led the Academy off the field to the tunes of 'Happy Birthday'. He finished with four for 12 in 3.4 overs.

The Academy had a rather uncomfortable 55 minutes' batting at the end of the day, losing the wicket of Maregwede, lbw to an off-cutter from Matambanadzo for 4. They finished on 28 for one (King 6, Vaughan-Davies 10), but if there is to be a result Mashonaland have the advantage. An Academy batting collapse would probably see them through, while the Academy, in order to win, will have to build a reasonable score and also bowl Mashonaland out in their second innings. Apart from Rennie, ten Mashonaland batsmen scored a mere 93 runs between them but they should not bat so badly a second time. Still, one can never tell.