Mashonaland A draw with Matabeleland in Bulawayo

One wicket was all that prevented Mashonaland A from winning their Castle Lager Logan match against Matabeleland as the match ended in a draw at Queens Sports Club on the fourth day.

Young Gregory Strydom top-scored for Matabeleland with an unbeaten 83 as they made 269 for nine in 65 overs with the home side still needing 16 runs to win the match. This was after Mashonaland A had made 332 in their second innings, taking a 283-run lead.

Matabeleland could have won the match had they taken the remaining three Mashonaland wickets quickly. The Mashonaland A tail-enders put up some resistance, with Prosper Utseya and Elton Chigumbura adding 43 for the 7th wicket. Utseya had his moment of reckoning when he smashed two successive fours off Heath Streak.

Matabeleland had two seamers, Mpumelelo Mbangwa and Gregory Strydom, unable to bowl because of injuries. Mbangwa was not able to take the field because of a back strain and Strydom could not bowl because of fractured finger to his right arm, which he suffered when he took a catch to dismiss Mark Vermeulen on the third day.

With the two pacers out, Matabeleland had to rely on the spinners and they did not disappoint, taking the last three wickets. Left-arm spinner Keith Dabengwa took two of them while Mecury Kenny took one wicket.

Mashonaland A set Matabeleland a target of 284 to win at a rate of four runs an over after scoring 332. Matabeleland got off to a poor start with their openers Wisdom Siziba and Stuart Walker scoring only 29 runs together before Siziba was dismissed by David Mutendera, caught by Grant Flower for 18 runs. This was the same score he made in the first innings, when he went out to the same bowler.

Opener Walker went on to grab a half-century but added only four runs to it before he was dismissed by Flower, Stuart Carlisle taking a catch in the slips. Victory was in the air for Matabeleland with few runs needed to win the match. Strydom turned the match into a one-day affair, smashing three sixes off Flower, the first going over the tiled Queens bar roof and the other two clearing the stands. This led to Flower being removed from the bowling attack.

Matabeleland needed 21 runs off the last over and the game grew tense with their batsmen playing dangerous shots. Two took wickets as Mutendera turned the game around and victory eluded Matabeleland. Mutendera had Gavin Ewing caught at long on by Vermeulen and then dismissed Keith Dabengwa for a duck.

Matabeleland found themselves suddenly on the verge of losing the match with one wicket remaining and the last two balls to come. Last man Mbangwa faced them and took two runs to condemn the match to a draw.

Mutendera was the pick of the Mashonaland A side with five wickets to his name, while Flower took two wickets. Hondo had an expensive spell, giving away 69 runs in 14 overs with no maidens and no wickets to his name.

This result meant that Matabeleland finished the competition without tasting victory as they lost their two opening home matches against Mashonaland and Midlands, before drawing their remaining matches against the CFX Academy, Manicaland and now Mashonaland A.

The match did not live up to to expectations, with the international stars failing to perform. Mashonaland A had a very strong batting line-up and a lot was expected from them. But Flower and Carlisle failed to find their form, with Flower averaging 12 runs in the two innings and Carlisle with a disappointing average of 2 runs. Gavin Rennie atoned for his poor showing in the first innings with a half-century in the second. Tatenda Taibu, Elton Chigumbura and Vermeulen were all consistent with bat while Mutendera and Hondo also did well with the ball.

For Matabeleland, their two experienced players did a sterling job with the ball, with Streak most outstanding, taking five wickets, while Mbangwa was also economical though he did not get so many wickets. The 18-year old Strydom was on top of the situation with the bat, making the two top scores of the match. He fell eight runs short of a century in the first innings with his 92 runs and then remained unbeaten on 83 runs at the end of the match.