Overnight: CFX Academy 200/8 dec; Midlands 89/3.
A dry night in Kwekwe meant that play could start on time on the third and
final day of the match between Midlands and the CFX Academy. The Academy
batted on for 50 minutes without losing a wicket, and then declared, as they
had planned. Barney Rogers did the bulk of the scoring, finishing on 44,
while Croxford scored 8. Midlands went in again with a lead of 82.
Ray Price survived two chances in Lewis' first over, but John
Vaughan-Davies, frustrated at his inability to get the score moving, swung
at a ball from McMillan and was given out caught down the leg side for 8.
He departed with a couple of loud verbal comments that would certainly have
brought action from the match referee, had there been one.
Craig Grant took a while to settle in, but then began to indulge in some big
hits off the spinners. He hit three big sixes in quick succession before
driving Coulson straight to Rogers at deepish mid-off to be out for 36.
Price scored 20 and Colin Delport 16, both being caught at short leg by
Blessing Mahwire off Rogers.
Craig Wishart also made 20, being overshadowed by a hurricane fifty, reached
off 32 balls, by captain Doug Marillier, who made light of the heavy
outfield with four sixes and four fours. When he was yorked by McMillan for
57, he immediately declared at 161 for six. The Academy were set 251 to win
in a minimum of 55 overs.
They struggled from the start, losing two wickets for 12 runs to the pace of
Doug Hondo. Then Rogers, after an uncertain start, began an assault on
Price, who had opened the bowling with Hondo, hitting him for 16 in an over.
Wishart then dismissed him for 35 with perhaps unintentional subtlety: three
appalling deliveries were dispatched to midwicket for four apiece, then the
good one surprised Rogers enough to have him caught at slip. When Price
spun out Siziba (24) and Croxford (26), the score was 110 for five and the
slide began towards defeat.
The inexperienced middle and lower order had little resistance to offer, and
the Academy were dismissed shortly after tea for 139, giving Midlands a rare
and much-appreciated victory to 111 runs. Ray Price bowled throughout the
innings to take four for 51, while part-time off-spinner Doug Marillier
picked up the somewhat flattering figures of three for 32.