Mashonaland overcome Matabeleland to win by 6 wickets

Matabeleland must have finished this match kicking themselves for failing to take advantage of Mashonaland's weakest bowling attack for many years, as a batting collapse allowed the visitors to cruise to a six-wicket victory. A 155-run partnership between Stuart Carlisle and Andy Flower ensured Mashonaland the game and probably the one-day series.

On a roasting hot morning Mashonaland won the toss and, for no reason that anybody could fathom, put Matabeleland in to bat on a good pitch, with their two new-ball bowlers of Wednesday missing. Douglas Hondo had a niggling quadricep muscle while Gus Mackay was unavailable due to his duties as general manager of the Mashonaland Cricket Association. Matabelelander Jordane Nichole was drafted into the side by virtue of his playing club cricket in Harare.

However, Waddington Mwayenga made it a good decision by removing Matabeleland's dynamic opening pair in his first over. Charles Coventry, after cutting a ferocious boundary, was caught at slip, while Mark Vermeulen was bowled all ends up. Matabeleland were 11 for two wickets.

Left-handers Gavin Rennie and Barney Rogers were undaunted and were soon attacking the rather loose bowling with success. Mashonaland had little seam bowling to offer after their new opening pair, so Elton Chigumbura and Craig Evans were given the ball for the first time in the tournament. The run rampage intensified and after 15 overs Matabeleland were 84 for two.

Leg-spinner Brian Murphy brought himself on, in tandem with Grant Flower, which forced the batsmen to play with more discretion for a while. Rennie reached his fifty and the partnership realized exactly 100 when Rogers (41) swung Murphy to deep midwicket where Craig Evans took the catch at ankle-height.

Trevor Gripper made 16 before edging a catch to the keeper off Evans, and Heath Streak's poor run continued, as Mwayenga returned to trap him lbw for 6. Rennie (72) quickly followed, superbly stumped by Taibu off a leg-side wide from Evans, and Matabeleland's advantage had slipped away with six down for 154 in the 33rd over.

Gavin Ewing (6) did not last, well caught low in the gully by Dion Ebrahim off Evans again. Wisdom Siziba (10) did his best before being caught at long-off, Keith Dabengwa (0) holed out to deep midwicket, and finally Pommie Mbangwa (1) also gave long-off catching practice. Mluleki Nkala, who was looking sound but ran out of partners, finished unbeaten on 15. Some players were perhaps fortunate that none of the several policeman patrolling the ground did not book them for 'reckless driving'.

From 140 for three to 188 not out, Matabeleland had shamefully thrown away a strong position against a threadbare Mashonaland bowling line-up. The chief beneficiaries were Evans, with four for 50, and Mwayenga, who made the early breakthrough and finished with three for 26.

A good over rate and Matabeleland's demise five overs short left time to be filled before lunch. Mashonaland again switched their opening pair, Ebrahim returning to partner Carlisle. By the interval Mashonaland had scored 17 without loss (Carlisle 10, Ebrahim 5).

Streak struck soon after lunch, bowling Ebrahim (6) off the inside edge, and three balls later Grant Flower's generally dismal series continued as he was caught at the wicket without addition. Mashonaland were 27 for two, and Streak's figures at this stage were 4-3-4-2, evidence that he is gradually finding his bowling form again.

Andy Flower as usual steadied the ship, appearing very casual as he played himself in at this level, and then gradually moved up a gear. Carlisle reached a sound fifty, apart from a return catch that was rejected by Mbangwa. The pressure relaxed and it became a cruise.

By this time the crowd had swollen to around 80 in number, which was better than anything Harare was able to produce. Once past his fifty Flower played a few remarkable reverse sweeps, but this put extra pressure on Carlisle as he was in the nineties with victory approaching. Given the strike with seven runs needed and his total on 99, he pulled the off-spin of Barney Rogers straight to square leg. The stand with Flower had realized 155 runs.

Craig Evans (3) fell to a return catch by Rogers, but a cover drive to the boundary by Tatenda Taibu ended the match. Streak emerged as the most creditable bowler, with figures of two for 25 off his eight overs. Matabeleland had lost a good chance and were left to rue their mental inadequacies.