Match report Mashonaland v Manicaland 8 Feb 2004 by John Ward

---

Scorecard:

Mashonaland v Manicaland

---

When the Faithwear inter-provincial one-day competition resumed in Harare, log leaders and reigning champions Mashonaland were handsomely beaten by six wickets by Manicaland at Takashinga Sports Club. They were let down by their poor batting, while former Mashonaland player Trevor Gripper scored a match-winning 73 not out for the opposition.

 

True, Mashonaland were seriously weakened by the absences of Grant Flower, Stuart Carlisle, Andy Blignaut and Under-19 star Brendan Taylor, but those international players who did take part looked very tired. They fielded four new players: three did very little but the exception, Erick Chauluka, proved to be by far their most successful batsman. They won the toss and decided to bat in good weather conditions on a sound but slow pitch.

 

Openers Dion Ebrahim and Tatenda Taibu, perhaps still suffering from jet lag after their return from Australia, were not at all fluent, although Ebrahim did play a handsome drive to the extra-cover boundary. In the seventh over Taibu (6) edged a ball from Blessing Mahwire to the keeper, Neil Ferreira, the opening stand having realized 27. In the next over Ebrahim departed for 17, adjudged lbw to Piet Rinke.

 

Worse was to follow, as Craig Evans (0) drove half-heartedly towards mid-off and Rinke, following through, dived to his left to take a good return catch. Champions Mashonaland were reeling at 31 for three.

 

Chauluka, coming in at number three, decided to hit his team out of trouble; Ryan Butterworth was keen to do the same, but was not timing the ball well. After a couple of risky strokes, he swung across the line to be bowled by Innocent Chinyoka for 8. Cham Chibhabha, another Mashonaland debutant, made only 1 before falling lbw to Brent, and Forster Mutizwa was run out by a fine throw from Richie Sims, also for 1. At 74 for six, Mashonaland were in deep trouble.

 

Chauluka, however, was still there and batting superbly. This was particularly creditable for a young player in view of the disasters at the other end. He reached his fifty off 52 balls with a late cut to the boundary off Mahwire. Douglas Hondo has no great reputation as a batsman, but he does have a first-class average of 14, experience and a cool temperament, and the pair were soon sharing a handsome partnership.

 

Hondo contributed 21 of a stand of 61 before he tried to swing a ball from Trevor Gripper to leg, and it popped up for the keeper to take the catch. Waddington Mwayenga showed some more of his newly exhibited batting prowess, hammering 22 off 22 balls with two huge sixes, before being caught on the leg boundary off Stuart Matsikenyeri attempting a third.

 

Then Chauluka’s fine innings came to an end, as he tried to swing Gripper to leg but only skyed a catch that was taken by the keeper. He had scored 70 runs off 83 balls, with 10 fours, and his team innings would have been a disaster without him. The last pair added only three runs and the inglorious innings came to an end at 172. There were two wickets each to Rinke, Gripper and Matsikenyeri. Rinke, who swung the ball either way with accuracy, was the best of the bowlers.

 

Manicaland began their innings before lunch, and with a relatively simple target it was mainly a question of whether they could hold their nerve. The somewhat controversial umpiring continued as Neil Ferreira was given out lbw to Hondo without scoring, with the total on 10.

 

Rinke had a lucky escape when he was dropped at mid-on off Mwayenga, but survived until lunch with Trevor Gripper, who made most of the running. Manicaland were 52 for one at the interval off 11 overs. With the second ball after lunch, Rinke played all over a ball from Mwayenga and lost his middle stump, departing for 8.

 

Stuart Matsikenyeri hit three fours off eight balls before getting overexcited and pulling Nicolle to midwicket. He made 12, and his team could scarcely afford his departure as the balance was now swinging back towards Mashonaland.

 

However Gripper, partnered by Richie Sims, were not going to let this great opportunity slip. With positive batting they pulled the match back, scoring freely but rarely rashly, and victory was in sight when Sims fell victim of cricket’s most unfair law. Gripper drove back straight and the ball ricocheted off bowler Mwayenga’s hand fortuitously onto the stumps. Sims paid the penalty for backing up correctly and was on his way for 49. Is there nobody else in the cricketing world who wants this unfair law changed so that only intentional hits by the bowler are counted out? – and there is rarely much doubt as to whether it is intentional or not.

 

Old pro Gary Brent went in next, and with Gripper saw the team home to victory with more than eight overs to spare. Mwayenga was the best of the bowlers, as he remembered the virtues of line and length that were so important in restricting batsmen on this slow pitch. Mashonaland are weakening, but victory over them is still a rare achievement, and Manicaland will long savour their success.

 

(Article: Copyright © 2004 John Ward)