Rennie gives Matabeleland 1st innings lead on entertaining day

A pitch giving a little help to bowlers resulted in another Logan Cup match in which the first-innings advantage was settled on the first day, and when the lack of quality of much of the cricket was compensated for by a goodly portion of interest and excitement. Mashonaland batted poorly to total 170, while Matabeleland looked to be matching them error for error until a lusty ninth-wicket partnership took them into a 27-run lead by the close, with two wickets still in hand.

The pitch, according to the players, had more bounce than a normal BAC pitch, but as usual it had a bit of movement for the seamers early on, playing easier as the match went on. Matabeleland captain Mark Abrams therefore put Mashonaland in to bat on winning the toss and had instant reward, as Matabeleland took wickets with the fifth balls of the first two overs. John Rennie swung the first ball in and only just missed Darlington Matambanadzo's off stump as he shouldered arms. Off the fifth ball Matambanadzo, who had already flicked and missed outside off stump, nudged a catch to keeper Warren Gilmour without a run on the board. At the other end, after a leg-bye, his replacement Brad Robinson drove a four through the covers but then presented Gilmour with another catch off a loose stroke outside off stump. Both batsmen revealed their lack of three-day experience and technique.

Gavin Rennie looked in fine form, though, taking advantage of some loose bowling to play some fine strokes, especially off the back foot through the covers. After ten overs Mashonaland were 42 for two, Rennie having 25 of them. Dirk Viljoen played himself in slowly, and the fifty partnership had just come up when John Rennie won a most unbrotherly lbw appeal against Gavin (32). Craig Evans flattered briefly but only to deceive, hitting his first three Logan Cup fours of the tournament before obligingly hooking Mark Abrams down the throat of long-leg Jason Hitz, making Mashonaland 87 for four.

Viljoen was looking in good form, but as so often he failed to go on to a big score, caught at the wicket fishing outside off stump for 36 to Rennie, who persuaded his captain to keep him on for over after over. This was on the stroke of lunch, when Mashonaland were on 111 for five (Don Campbell 13).

After the break, captain Gus Mackay was soon pulling and driving fiercely in typical fashion, hitting four powerful fours and a three in his 19 before slashing Rennie to backward point - 133 for seven. A solid partnership then formed between Campbell, who had been most unconvincing at first, and Anton Hoffman, who by way of contrast was soon into his stride with some powerful strokes. Rennie carried on bowling until suddenly, in his 22nd over unchanged, he pulled a tendon and had to leave the field. Perhaps he was not properly warmed up. He had exploited the conditions superbly, getting both seam and swing, and taken five good wickets for 70.

When the stand was finally broken, Hoffman (20) swinging a catch backward of square leg to Abrams off Hitz at 170, the innings collapsed without addition. Ian Engelbrecht came on to bowl his first over of left-arm spin, and that proved to be enough. Campbell, trying to sweep, was yorked leg stump, and last man Gary du Plessis sliced a catch to backward point, and Mashonaland had put up another unconvincing batting performance, with most of their batsmen falling to soft dismissals. There was too much extravagant strokeplay, a luxury when the pitch was rather slow and the ball not coming on to the bat. The innings lasted a mere 45 overs.

Mashonaland soon picked up a fortuitous wicket as Wisdom Siziba, before he had scored, flicked a ball off the full face of the bat straight into the chest of short-leg Brad Robinson, where it stuck. Mark Vermeulen immediately showed how he has grown in confidence since his 197 against Midlands last weekend, taking toll of some loose bowling with some cultured drives. Perhaps he was a little over-confident at first, as he played a couple of uppish strokes that just evaded the field, but he soon settled down to reveal his genuine class, albeit against rather second-rate bowling.

Charles Coventry kept him company with a useful 19 before being caught at the wicket driving outside the off stump, making Matabeleland 49 for two at that stage. Dion Ebrahim also played some good strokes but did not last, being well caught slashing by Campbell, standing up to the medium-paced du Plessis. With Abrams adjudged lbw to Viljoen without scoring, Matabeleland went in to tea on 70 for four (Vermeulen 39).

Afterwards Vermeulen continued his calm demolition of the bowling, playing some particularly exquisite cover drives. Sanyo Nyakutse looked uncertain at first, but then hit two off-side fours off Hoffman and seemed to be settling down. But he was then deceived by the flight of Peacock and moved down the pitch to be yorked for 16, making Matabeleland 117 for five. Wicket-keeper Warren Gilmour immediately looked a sound replacement, playing the bowling on its merits and allowing Vermeulen to take centre stage.

So well was Vermeulen batting that he looked set to challenge his 197 of last week, but on reaching the eighties he became bogged down. The bowling and fielding tightened up and he suddenly found himself unable to pierce the field. Eventually, with 87 to his credit, he latched on to a short ball from Evans but hit it straight down the throat of Dan Peacock on the midwicket boundary. Two more wickets quickly followed, as Gilmour (27) was caught behind while fencing outside off stump, and Ian Engelbrecht (0) was adjudged lbw despite playing well forward, both to Everton Matambanadzo.

At 162 for eight, a first-innings lead by Matabeleland was now in doubt, but John Rennie and Jason Hitz battled it out, without a run coming off the bat for several overs. Finally Hitz slammed Viljoen high to cow-shot corner for a four to take the lead, and followed it with another four to long leg. At which Rennie, not to be outdone, pulled Matambanadzo for two fours and then Viljoen for a six. He continued to hit merrily until the close, when Matabeleland finished on 197 for eight, with himself on 20 and Hitz 10.