CFX Academy valiant effort thwarted by weather

The CFX Academy made a valiant effort to win the match against Matabeleland at the Country Club, Harare, but the rain which had washed out more than half the second day's play proved too much for them, as they were unable to bowl their opponents out a second time. The final will therefore be contested between Mashonaland and Manicaland at Harare Sports Club in a three-day match beginning next Friday, 7 April.

The Academy began the day needing 65 runs to reach 300 with three wickets standing. The 300 was crucial since, as long as they won the match, the extra batting point would take them ahead of Mashonaland into the final against Manicaland next weekend. A mere 250 would leave them level on points, and the Zimbabwe Cricket Union had apparently not legislated for a tie-break were two teams to be equal on points, although requested to do so by the Academy before the match. An enthralling battle resulted in their reaching their target, but they owed much to the Matabele fielding, with at least six possible catches going down.

They soon lost new batsman Clement Mahachi (0), who hit a full toss straight back to Keith Dabengwa for a return catch. But then came a determined partnership between the injured Jason Young and Gregg Haakonsen. Both had their luck: Haakonsen early on gave a hard chance high to the right of slip off Dabengwa, while Young, sweeping at Engelbrecht, skyed a ball high to midwicket and had given up his innings as lost when the ball popped out of the hands of the waiting fielder. They continued to bat positively and the target was in sight, at 290, when Young drove at Senyo Nyakutse, with the new ball, and was bowled.

This left the last pair to score ten runs, and they kept their heads and their luck. An attempted pull by Haakonsen flew over the slips for four, and Hondo gave a low sharp chance to slip on 299. He then skyed a ball towards square leg which the fielder, running full tilt, just failed to hold, and the batsmen scampered through for the critical run. They continued to look for runs until Haakonsen was stumped off Dabengwa for a courageous 45, leaving Hondo not out with 5 and the total 316, a lead of 140.

The Academy still needed to win the match in order to qualify for the final, and they had a further 90 overs maximum in which to do so. Matabeleland openers Wisdom Siziba and Charles Coventry showed no sign of throwing it away before lunch, putting on a determined 32 together by the interval.

The afternoon session was crucial to the Academy's hopes, but it was to prove almost fruitless. They picked up only one wicket, at 40, when Coventry (17) fended off a ball from Friend to be picked up smartly by Richard Sims at short leg. But thereafter the bowlers toiled to no effect as Siziba stood firm, gradually playing his strokes against loose balls, and the more aggressive Vermeulen looked in fine form, driving and pulling with effortless power and timing. Vermeulen was particularly severe on Friend, hitting him out of the attack, although he had to be more watchful when Strang brought himself on. At tea the course of the match was moving swiftly towards a draw, with Matabeleland on 133 for one (Siziba 40, Vermeulen 56), and 39 overs left for play.

After tea, the runs continued, with Vermeulen driving several handsome fours, and even Siziba got in on the act, taking everybody by surprise by hitting Lamb high over midwicket for four. He finally reached his maiden first-class fifty, but then allowed it to go to his head. He lofted Lamb over his head for four but then, trying another big hit, edged a ball over the slips to be caught by Strang running back, for 54. But he had made the match virtually safe.

Vermeulen moved on towards his century, driving Sims for 6, 4 and 6 in the same over. In the following over he drove Sims again to the boundary to reach three figures, at which point, Matabeleland 207 for two and 67 runs ahead, the teams agreed to call the match off as a draw. Well though the Academy had batted, they did not have the bowling power to force their way through to the final in the reduced time allowed them in this match.