Manicaland v Matabeleland: Exciting finish in prospect after two days.

This match is set up for what could be an exciting finish tomorrow morning, as Manicaland, set the highest total of the match for victory, 210, finished the day more than halfway there, on 117 with three wickets down. On the first day both innings had been dominated by one player; a third and less experienced player was to stand out in the Matabeleland second innings. Development player Wisdom Sibiza, making his first-class debut, held the batting together by carrying his bat throughout the completed innings.

The day's play began in sunshine, with Matabeleland having a 59-run advantage on first innings which looked likely to prove decisive unless they made a major hash of their second innings. Charles Coventry and Sibiza gave their team no immediate cause for alarm with the first double-figure opening stand of the match.

Gary Brent, though, struck back for Manicaland with three wickets in the morning session. Although still bowling the occasional loose ball, he found much more control, holding the ball down the seam for most of the time, and found good movement and occasional lift. Coventry (24), the more enterprising of the two batsmen, gradually found his confidence and was feeling quite comfortable, by his own admission, when he fended off a lifter from Brent to be caught by Steve Lawson in the slips with the total on 34.

Captain Mark Vermeulen came in but had only two to his name when he played forward to Brent and was adjudged lbw, possibly outside the line of off stump. Dion Ebrahim quickly received a flier from Brent and gave a low chance in the gully that was put down. Almost immediately a light shower of rain drove the players from the field.

Ebrahim was not to last long, though, turning a ball from Brent firmly but straight to short leg Stuart Matsikenyeri, out for 3 with the score on 46 for three. Neil van Rensburg came in but then came more rain; a total of 35 minutes was lost before lunch. Play resumed with 14 minutes before lunch, and van Rensburg was dropped at the wicket slashing outside off stump at Patrick Gada. At the interval the score was 50 for three (Sibiza 16, van Rensburg 2), and the light rain started again almost immediately.

Only a few minutes were lost before play started again afterwards. Van Rensburg played a handsome cover drive but then, on 10, padded up to a ball from Soma that came back in and was given out lbw. Brent was more erratic after lunch, but took a fourth wicket with a bad ball, a short one down the leg side at which the new batsman Warren Gilmour (0) swung and walked for a tickle to the keeper. At 63 for five, Matabeleland were in danger of throwing it away.

Sibiza was still there, driving and missing occasionally but keeping his head down the rest of the time and batting soundly. He had sound support for a while from Shaun Commerford (14) and Ian Engelbrecht (13), both out to Mark Burmester, to take the score to 110 for seven. Then Matthew Townshend, son of former national player and current Matabeleland manager Derrick, decided to take the long handle and hit out powerfully, striking Burmester for 4, 6 and 6 off successive balls, the sixes travelling over midwicket and long-on. He was given out for 22, caught at slip by Dion Yatras off off-spinner Steve Lawson, although it appeared the ball came off his pad, and there was a general feeling that the umpires were rather too trigger-happy, as there were several dubious decisions in the innings.

At tea the score was 148 for eight (Siziba 38, Brown 10), the latter having scooped Lawson for two successive fours over mid-on just before tea. The innings was to fold meekly soon afterwards for just two more runs, though, both to Lawson, Brown being smartly stumped by Neil Ferreira and Hitz, doubtless hindered by nerves, driving loosely and lobbing a catch to Brent at cover without scoring. Sibiza carried his bat through the innings for a determined, if somewhat fortunate at times, 40. Brent, despite his post-lunch wildness, finished with the commendable if slightly flattering figures of 16-5-16-4.

Manicaland were left to score 210 to win, the highest total of the match - which seemed unlikely in the context of this match but they had scored 357 against Midlands the previous weekend. They made a positive start, with Ferreira and the promoted Brent moving the score along with some enterprising strokes. Both sides appeared more fired up than at any stage in the match, especially when the score reached the thirties and it was clear that Manicaland were not going to roll over.

Matters changed immediately the spinners were brought on. In his first over Engelbrecht yorked Ferreira (16), beating him in flight, and the wicket-keeper left the field during play for the first time in the match. Then in the next over Brown had Brent caught by van Rensburg at slip, both wickets falling at 50. Burmester's policy seemed to be to wait for the wide ball and hammer it for four, and for a long time it worked. His first five scoring shots were all boundaries, although one was a thin inside edge that just missed the stumps. He had a couple of other narrow escapes, but fortune favoured the brave for quite a while. At the other end Gada played a valuable supporting role, playing the occasional good attacking stroke but generally finding the fielder.

Burmester was just past fifty when an attempted pull lobbed the ball just over slip, but he did not enjoy his escape for long. Moving down the pitch to Engelbrecht, he played over a ball to be bowled. His 53 came off 69 balls and included 8 fours; it was scored out of a stand of 59 with Gada. With the light deteriorating rapidly, the umpires refused to come off until ten minutes to six, and Gada (12) and night-watchman Terry Denyer (0) fought successfully for survival and will carry on the fight in the morning. Manicaland's last seven batsmen need another 93 runs to win, and with their best men gone they will have to do well to get them.