Strang sews up Logan Cup for Mashonaland

Mashonaland 345 and 275/5; Manicaland 123.

Mashonaland have won the Logan Cup, de facto if not de jure. After taking a first-innings lead of 222 over Manicaland, they declined to enforce the follow-on and pointlessly added a further 275 runs before the close, leaving the visitors in a hopeless situation.

Under sunny skies, later to cloud over, Manicaland soon found themselves with their backs to the wall, with Bryan Strang getting movement in the air and off the pitch. Neil Ferreira, backbone of the Manicaland batting, scored only 8, misjudging a ball from Strang just outside the off stump, shouldering arms and having it nip back to hit his off stump. Strang got his next ball to swing in from outside leg stump and trap Patrick Gada lbw, and Manicaland were 12 for two.

Steve Lawson saved the hat-trick, but he and Hamilton Masakadza, batting with great determination but few strokes, really struggled for runs, and there were times when overs bowled exceeded the runs on the board. Finally Lawson's concentration seemed to break, as he reached for a wide ball from Anton Hoffman outside the off stump to be caught by Campbell for 2; 19 for three in the 23rd over, and quite a few of these were courtesy of some sloppy Mashonaland ground fielding.

Even Mark Burmester struggled to get the score moving, as uneven bounce was another problem the batsmen had to contend with. Eventually Burmester, seemingly frustrated, walked across his stumps to try to turn Gavin Rennie to leg, and was adjudged lbw for 9; 41 for four in the 34th over, and Manicaland were in deep crisis.

At this point opener Masakadza, who had 14 from 96 balls, tried to take the initiative, and it worked. After a few positive strokes the bowlers lost some of their accuracy, and he was soon able to keep the board moving, in company with Stuart Matsikenyeri, without undue risk. The first four of the innings came in the 38th over, a pull to deep square leg by Masakadza, and it remained the only four of the innings when lunch was taken after 45 overs, with Manicaland now on 80 for four (Masakadza 41, Matsikenyeri 8).

The after-lunch period was to prove disastrous for Manicaland, but triumphant for Strang. Matsikenyeri (9) reached for a ball from Strang wide of the off stump and edged a catch to the keeper, with only a single added to the total. Dion Yatras (0), perhaps misreading a yorker, drove over the top to be bowled, then Terry Denyer (4) was also yorked; 92 for seven. There was a brief respite when Leon Soma came in and applied the long handle, especially to Gus Mackay, who overdid the bouncers and was pulled for six and four.

Unfortunately for Manicaland Masakadza finally fell for 53, driving outside off stump to be caught at the wicket, bringing to an end a fine innings just when it looked possible that he might emulate Matabeleland's Wisdom Siziba by carrying his bat through the innings on his debut. Jason Sparrow was given out lbw first ball, making the score 111 for nine, and all five wickets since lunch to Strang.

Brian James, at number eleven due to a fever, hung on while Soma attacked, hitting Rennie for six over long-on, but the latter was finally stumped off Rennie for 23, only the second batsman of the innings to reach double figures. Manicaland were all out for 123, 242 runs behind, but declined to enforce the follow-on. Strang had taken the remarkable figures of 21-12-20-7.

As Mashonaland were in an unassailable position and the destiny of the Logan Cup as good as settled, Gus Mackay decided to bat again with a lead of 222, saying he also wanted to give his bowlers a rest. Again Manicaland missed an opportunity, dropping Rennie at short leg off a sharp chance in the first over. After that, with the pressure off, the batsmen made hay against more inaccurate bowling and by the tea interval had run up 77 without loss off 12 overs (Rennie 47, Gripper 28).

The cricket after tea had little meaning. The bowling was no threat, and the batsmen just took a glorified net practice in scoring 155 for the first wicket before Rennie was stumped off Masakadza for 87. Gripper, 86 in the first innings, again missed a century, scoring 78 before he hit a full toss from Burmester straight to Gada at mid-on.

The last hour saw a brief flurry of wickets and big, sometimes wild, hitting. The renowned hitters Evans and Mackay did not come off, the former run out attempting a risky second run to Jason Sparrow for 10, and the latter stumped off Matsikenyere for 5. Dan Peacock did, getting off his 'pair' with a six over long-off and next over hitting another which rebounded off the clubhouse roof. He finished the day unbeaten with 38 off 26 balls. Some wild swings, some better aimed than others, by the promoted Everton Matambanadzo with 31 not out off 26 balls brought a pointless session to a close. Perhaps if Mashonaland manage to rattle up another quick 200 by lunch tomorrow they may consider themselves safe enough to make a challenging declaration!