da bet vitoria： The match between Logan Cup leaders Manicaland and favouritesMashonaland appears to be heading for a draw at the Mutare SportsClub, with the visitors 116 runs behind on first innings with sixwickets in hand at the close of the second day’s play
John Ward18-Mar-2000The match between Logan Cup leaders Manicaland and favouritesMashonaland appears to be heading for a draw at the Mutare SportsClub, with the visitors 116 runs behind on first innings with sixwickets in hand at the close of the second day’s play.Contrary to local fears, the day dawned fine in Mutare, with playstarting half an hour earlier in an effort to make up for losttime. The pitch continued to give no help to the bowlers and theoutfield none to the batsmen. Neil Ferreira and Gary Brent tookthe total to 139 with some steady batting before Brent (19) wasyorked by left-arm spinner Dirk Viljoen.Guy Whittall, in his one Logan Cup match for Manicaland beforetravelling to the West Indies next weekend, provided his kneecontinues to hold up, was soon batting fluently. Even he foundit difficult to reach the boundary, although he did pull a lowsix over deep square leg. Ferreira continued to accumulate assome of the Mashonaland players got rather frustrated, and if hebecame concerned at being bogged down at times he didn’t show it.At lunch Manicaland were on 218 for three (Ferreira 89, Whittall46) and seeming set for a dominant score.The score passed 250 without any trouble, Whittall opening uponce he had reached his fifty with a drive for four and pulls forsix and four off successive balls from du Plessis. He wasrapidly catching up Neil Ferreira, creeping up through thenineties, when he on-drove a catch off Viljoen straight toEverton Matambanadzo to be out for 80. The score was now 256 forfour, and this was the turning point of the innings.Steve Lawson suffered an inexplicable dismissal, without scoring,hit full on the thigh by Anton Hoffman, but the ball somehow wentstraight on to his leg stump. Stuart Matsikenyeri scored 7before being yorked by Hoffman, then Andrew Whittall (1) swung ata full-pitched delivery and was given out caught at the wicketoff Viljoen.It took Ferreira 65 minutes after lunch to score the 11 runsneeded for his century, his second in three Logan Cup matches.Trying to increase the scoring rate as he ran out of partners, heskyed an on-drive immediately after the drinks break, to becaught by Everton Matambanadzo off Viljoen for 106. Dan Peacockat last took a wicket, having Leon Soma caught at the wicketwithout scoring, and last man Terry Denyer was adjudged lbw toViljoen, the bowler’s sixth wicket, for 2. Dion Yatras wasunbeaten on 6. Manicaland had collapsed to 287 all out, theirlast seven wickets falling for 31 runs.Gavin Rennie and Darlington Matambanadzo opened very solidly forMashonaland, and the runs slowly began to come until the score attea was 28 without loss (Matambanadzo 15, Rennie 13).Once Rennie got into the twenties, he began to open up,especially against Andrew Whittall, hitting him for two fours inone over, a cover drive and a pull, and then pulling him for fourand six in the next over. Whittall tightened up and the scoringrate dropped. Despite using his feet well to the spinners,Matambanadzo became bogged down, and eventually moved down thepitch in the off-spinner Lawson’s first over and yorked himselffor 23. The opening pair had put on 70 together. Rennie reachedhis fifty but was then caught at the wicket prodding outside offstump to Whittall.Whittall was soon in the wars again, as Trevor Madondo drove himpowerfully for six over long-on, shortly followed by another. Itwas a typical Madondo cameo, full of superb strokes, looking verydangerous, but destined to be ended before reaching fullpotential with a mishit. On 32, he tried once too often againstthe accurate Lawson and skyed the ball to backward point, whereit was safely held by Brent.Viljoen took over the role of aggressor, especially relishingsome medium-paced long hops served up by Yatras, whose two overswere to cost 27 runs. The pavilion at Mutare Sports Club issituated just beyond long leg; Viljoen hit a six on to the roofand the over the top. In the next over he dove him straight toreach his fifty and then hit another six over midwicket. At theother end Craig Evans, struggling for form, was given out lbwimmediately Brent replaced Yatras, and possibly this normallyaggressive batsman has never before had the experience of scoringjust 3 runs of a partnership of 38.Don Campbell arrived but the light went, with Mashonaland on 171for four (Viljoen 62, Campbell 0) with a slight advantage, butthey will have to work hard, or Manicaland play badly, for aresult to be possible tomorrow.