Match report Mashonaland v Matabeleland 10 Feb 2004 by John Ward

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Scorecard:

Mashonaland v Matabeleland

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Mashonaland, after coming close to throwing away the match, eventually beat an inexperienced Matabeleland side by 8 runs in the final over of the match at Alexandra Sports Club in Harare. They owed their victory to a fine innings of 73 in unsatisfactory conditions by Craig Evans, which enabled them to set a target just beyond the reach of the visitors.

 

The Alexandra pitch has acquired a dubious reputation in recent years and the players were scathing in their criticism of the pitch for this match: it was, they said, too slow, two-paced and uneven in bounce, a very poor pitch for a one-day match. Mashonaland won the toss and decided to bat.

 

Ryan Butterworth, promoted to open the innings, did not do himself any favours by playing across the line too regularly, and paid the penalty with his score on 12, edging Ryan Bennett towards second slip, where Greg Strydom took a good catch low to his left. Mashonaland were 21 for one in the sixth over.

 

Erick Chauluka, by far the best batsman on Sunday, registered only a single this time before he tried to turn a straight ball from Chris Mpofu to leg and was bowled. Tatenda Taibu looked more comfortable at four than he has been opening, and was building a useful partnership with Dion Ebrahim until the latter (21) turned Gavin Ewing to leg and presented midwicket with a simple catch; 55 for three.

 

Craig Evans soon decided to take risks to get the score moving. A mistimed straight hit off Gavin Ewing just cleared the boundary on this small ground, and another lofted stroke narrowly evaded a fielder. Umpire Justice Tapfumaneyi was again the centre of controversy when he adjudged Taibu lbw for an unconvincing 13 off 67 deliveries, the ball hitting him high. Mashonaland were 76 for four in the 28th over, but it was not an easy pitch to score on. Matabeleland made it harder with tight fielding and accurate bowling, especially by Pommie Mbangwa and spinners Ewing and Keith Dabengwa.

 

Luther Mutyambizi, on his debut for Mashonaland after moving from Midlands, made 7 before edging a simple catch to slip off Dabengwa. Cham Chibhabha (2) was next to go, trying to swing Dabengwa to leg but only slicing an easy catch to backward point. Jordane Nicolle (1) was another unwilling victim to an lbw decision, the bowler this time being Tinashe Mpariwa.

 

Evans had by now settled down and was playing the percentages better, successfully selecting the right ball to hit and lofting shots into vacant areas of the outfield. He often found timing difficult, but at othersbrute strength forced the ball to the boundary.

 

Forster Mutizwa scored 10 usefully in a stand of 48 with Evans, who reached his fifty remarkably off 57 balls, before hitting a firm return catch to Dabengwa. Evans fell soon afterwards, bowled attempting another big hit off Dabengwa as the overs ran out. He made 73 off 75 balls, with three sixes and five fours.

 

The last pair were content to bat out the overs without taking the liberty of an attacking shot, leaving Mashonaland with a total of 176 for nine. Given the nature of the pitch and the long Matabeleland tail, it would be a difficult target to beat. Dabengwa, with four for 39, was the most successful bowler.

 

Dabengwa and Tinashe Hove made a confident start to the Matabeleland innings, both playing a couple of handsome strokes, but they flattered only to deceive. In Waddington Mwayenga’s second over Dabengwa (5) chased a ball that would have been a wide outside the off stump and edged a catch to stand-in wicketkeeper Dion Ebrahim, who took the gloves as Taibu thought his own bowling would be suited to the pitch.

 

Ebrahim had a busy time of it, as Tinashe Hove (6) tried to hook Mwayenga and gloved a catch to him, and then umpire Tapfumaneyi came to the fore again. Andre Hoffman tried to hook Mwayenga, who was finding life and bounce that nobody else had discovered in the pitch, and was given out for 5, caught at the wicket off his arm. Matabeleland were 24 for three in the fifth over.

 

Greg Strydom and Charles Coventry responded by going on the attack, playing some fine strokes, but on this pitch this style rarely works, unless a batsman has the experience and luck of Evans. Coventry had 14 when he mistimed a drive off Nicolle and skyed a catch to mid-off, and soon afterwards Strydom, a predominantly back-foot player, played back once too often to a full-length ball from Taibu and was bowled for 18. With their tail exposed, Matabeleland’s challenge was effectively over at 65 for five.

 

Or so everybody seemed to think. Both teams seemed to relax, Tinashe Mpariwa joined the last recognized batsman Gavin Ewing and they enjoyed some batting practice, while Mashonaland began to lose their grip. Sensible batting saw the pair add 82 for the sixth wicket, and when Mashonaland began to realize the danger, the batsmen were on top and they were struggling for a wicket.

 

They had taken Matabeleland to a position of potential victory when Mpariwa drove Evans to backward point to depart for 31. Almost immediately new batsman Mbangwa swept Ebrahim hard but straight to backward square leg, and Matabeleland were 152 for seven. The last three batsmen needed to score 25 runs in seven overs.

 

Ryan Bennett looked confident, but deprived Ewing of the strike for a couple of overs. Back on strike, Ewing lashed out unnecessarily at Taibu and hit the ball directly to a fielder. Matabeleland were showing uncanny skill in picking out the fielders. He made 55, and Matabeleland were 159 for eight.

 

Bennett and Chris Mpofu kept the runs ticking over sensibly until Bennett threw it away, leaping down the pitch to be bowled by Ebrahim for 4. 11 were needed off the last two overs, and the batsmen looked fine as long as they looked for singles, but in danger when they lashed out in the hope of a boundary. That was how they perished, as Thabo Mboyi swung at Ebrahim and skyed a catch to long on. Mashonaland were relieved to salvage a match they had nearly thrown away.

 

(Article: Copyright © 2004 John Ward)