Low scores highlight gaping flaws

Matabeleland, the odds-on favourites, sat out the third round of matches in the Faithwear provincial one-day tournament, and the absence of several leading players as a result of their dispute with Zimbabwe Cricket meant the standard of cricket was fairly low.

Although recent heavy rainfall has left grounds wet, one local said the consistently low scoring owed more to the lack of the batsmen's technique. In five completed matches to date the highest team score has been 118 and no batsman has reached fifty.

Mashonaland's stand-in side beat Midlands by two wickets in a low-scoring tie at Harare Sports Club. Midlands struggled after being put in to bat, taking almost 37 overs to score 91, and the run rate was equally dire when Mashonaland chased. When they slipped from 56 for 3 to 78 for 8 it seemed they were on course for another defeat, but they crawled across the finishing line in the 42nd over.

It was an even more low-scoring affair at the Academy where Manicaland were bowled out for 86 by Msvingo, who eased to a five-wicket win thanks to a gutsy 41 from Marumisa, the highest score of the day.