da stake casino： One wicket was all that prevented Mashonaland A from winning their CastleLager Logan match against Matabeleland as the match ended in a draw atQueens Sports Club on the fourth day
Mehluli Sibanda22-Apr-2002One wicket was all that prevented Mashonaland A from winning their CastleLager Logan match against Matabeleland as the match ended in a draw atQueens Sports Club on the fourth day.Young Gregory Strydom top-scored for Matabeleland with an unbeaten 83 asthey made 269 for nine in 65 overs with the home side still needing 16 runsto win the match. This was after Mashonaland A had made 332 in their secondinnings, taking a 283-run lead.Matabeleland could have won the match had they taken the remaining threeMashonaland wickets quickly. The Mashonaland A tail-enders put up someresistance, with Prosper Utseya and Elton Chigumbura adding 43 for the 7thwicket. Utseya had his moment of reckoning when he smashed two successivefours off Heath Streak.Matabeleland had two seamers, Mpumelelo Mbangwa and Gregory Strydom, unableto 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 theydid not disappoint, taking the last three wickets. Left-arm spinner KeithDabengwa 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 runsan over after scoring 332. Matabeleland got off to a poor start with theiropeners Wisdom Siziba and Stuart Walker scoring only 29 runs together beforeSiziba 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 outto the same bowler.Opener Walker went on to grab a half-century but added only four runs to itbefore he was dismissed by Flower, Stuart Carlisle taking a catch in theslips. Victory was in the air for Matabeleland with few runs needed to winthe match. Strydom turned the match into a one-day affair, smashing threesixes off Flower, the first going over the tiled Queens bar roof and theother two clearing the stands. This led to Flower being removed from thebowling attack.Matabeleland needed 21 runs off the last over and the game grew tense withtheir 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 withone wicket remaining and the last two balls to come. Last man Mbangwa facedthem and took two runs to condemn the match to a draw.Mutendera was the pick of the Mashonaland A side with five wickets to hisname, while Flower took two wickets. Hondo had an expensive spell, givingaway 69 runs in 14 overs with no maidens and no wickets to his name.This result meant that Matabeleland finished the competition without tastingvictory as they lost their two opening home matches against Mashonaland andMidlands, 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 starsfailing 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 theball, with Streak most outstanding, taking five wickets, while Mbangwa wasalso economical though he did not get so many wickets. The 18-year oldStrydom was on top of the situation with the bat, making the two top scoresof the match. He fell eight runs short of a century in the first inningswith his 92 runs and then remained unbeaten on 83 runs at the end of thematch.