Draw on cards in Mutare match

The match between Logan Cup leaders Manicaland and favourites Mashonaland appears to be heading for a draw at the Mutare Sports Club, with the visitors 116 runs behind on first innings with six wickets in hand at the close of the second day's play.

Contrary to local fears, the day dawned fine in Mutare, with play starting half an hour earlier in an effort to make up for lost time. The pitch continued to give no help to the bowlers and the outfield none to the batsmen. Neil Ferreira and Gary Brent took the total to 139 with some steady batting before Brent (19) was yorked by left-arm spinner Dirk Viljoen.

Guy Whittall, in his one Logan Cup match for Manicaland before travelling to the West Indies next weekend, provided his knee continues to hold up, was soon batting fluently. Even he found it difficult to reach the boundary, although he did pull a low six over deep square leg. Ferreira continued to accumulate as some of the Mashonaland players got rather frustrated, and if he became concerned at being bogged down at times he didn't show it. At lunch Manicaland were on 218 for three (Ferreira 89, Whittall 46) and seeming set for a dominant score.

The score passed 250 without any trouble, Whittall opening up once he had reached his fifty with a drive for four and pulls for six and four off successive balls from du Plessis. He was rapidly catching up Neil Ferreira, creeping up through the nineties, when he on-drove a catch off Viljoen straight to Everton Matambanadzo to be out for 80. The score was now 256 for four, and this was the turning point of the innings.

Steve Lawson suffered an inexplicable dismissal, without scoring, hit full on the thigh by Anton Hoffman, but the ball somehow went straight on to his leg stump. Stuart Matsikenyeri scored 7 before being yorked by Hoffman, then Andrew Whittall (1) swung at a full-pitched delivery and was given out caught at the wicket off Viljoen.

It took Ferreira 65 minutes after lunch to score the 11 runs needed for his century, his second in three Logan Cup matches. Trying to increase the scoring rate as he ran out of partners, he skyed an on-drive immediately after the drinks break, to be caught by Everton Matambanadzo off Viljoen for 106. Dan Peacock at last took a wicket, having Leon Soma caught at the wicket without scoring, and last man Terry Denyer was adjudged lbw to Viljoen, the bowler's sixth wicket, for 2. Dion Yatras was unbeaten on 6. Manicaland had collapsed to 287 all out, their last seven wickets falling for 31 runs.

Gavin Rennie and Darlington Matambanadzo opened very solidly for Mashonaland, and the runs slowly began to come until the score at tea was 28 without loss (Matambanadzo 15, Rennie 13).

Once Rennie got into the twenties, he began to open up, especially against Andrew Whittall, hitting him for two fours in one over, a cover drive and a pull, and then pulling him for four and six in the next over. Whittall tightened up and the scoring rate dropped. Despite using his feet well to the spinners, Matambanadzo became bogged down, and eventually moved down the pitch in the off-spinner Lawson's first over and yorked himself for 23. The opening pair had put on 70 together. Rennie reached his fifty but was then caught at the wicket prodding outside off stump to Whittall.

Whittall was soon in the wars again, as Trevor Madondo drove him powerfully for six over long-on, shortly followed by another. It was a typical Madondo cameo, full of superb strokes, looking very dangerous, but destined to be ended before reaching full potential with a mishit. On 32, he tried once too often against the accurate Lawson and skyed the ball to backward point, where it was safely held by Brent.

Viljoen took over the role of aggressor, especially relishing some medium-paced long hops served up by Yatras, whose two overs were to cost 27 runs. The pavilion at Mutare Sports Club is situated just beyond long leg; Viljoen hit a six on to the roof and the over the top. In the next over he dove him straight to reach his fifty and then hit another six over midwicket. At the other end Craig Evans, struggling for form, was given out lbw immediately Brent replaced Yatras, and possibly this normally aggressive batsman has never before had the experience of scoring just 3 runs of a partnership of 38.

Don Campbell arrived but the light went, with Mashonaland on 171 for four (Viljoen 62, Campbell 0) with a slight advantage, but they will have to work hard, or Manicaland play badly, for a result to be possible tomorrow.