Match report day 1 Manicaland v Midlands, Logan Cup 2003/04 by John Ward

---

Scorecard:

Midlands v Manicaland

---

Toss: Manicaland.
Lunch: Manicaland 85/5 off 35.2 overs (Manyande 6*).
Tea: Manicaland 156 all out; Midlands 17/1 off 4 overs (Duffin 10*).
Close: Midlands 212/2 off 36 overs (Friend 91*, Wishart 37*).

 

Manicaland, fresh from a beating in 2½ days by Mashonaland, look like going down to Midlands in a similar period of time after another very poor day at Kwekwe Sports Club. While one can feel sympathy with Manicaland, who have so many top players missing, none can be aroused after a very poor performance in all three departments of the game on this occasion. Midlands by contrast played good, sensible attacking cricket and finished the day 56 runs ahead and still with eight wickets in hand.

 

The rain in Kwekwe seemed to have stopped, temporarily at least, although it was very windy, as Manicaland won the toss and decided to bat. Their already weakened team was now without Gary Brent, who was attending his sister’s wedding, but at least Barney Rogers was back after injury and opening their batting. Midlands were without Raymond Price, unwell, and their regular captain, Douglas Marillier, whose contract with the Zimbabwe Cricket Union had finished at the end of March and he declined to renew it – yet another premature loss of a valued player to Zimbabwe cricket. The 21-year-old Sean Ervine was given the captain’s job in preference to the 30-year-old Craig Wishart, who had impressed in a brief spell of substitute captaincy the previous season.

 

Umpire Kevan Barbour, standing in this match, said that it was his first return to Kwekwe for a Logan Cup match since 1968, when he made his own Logan Cup debut – two-day match, not first-class - at the age of 18 for Matabeleland against Midlands. He was adamant that the standard of play then was higher than it is now.

 

Travis Friend continued his greatly improved bowling form with an impressive opening spell, keeping the ball for the most part well up to the batsman and on the stumps at an uncomfortable pace. Neil Ferreira and Barney Rogers played the bowling cautiously, though Ed Rainsford bowled a few loose balls. Ferreira, in poor batting form, tried to be positive but never really timed the ball well, and spent more than an hour at the wicket for 14 before driving a catch straight to short cover; 38 for one.

 

Darlington Matambanadzo scored just a single before he checked a drive against Amos Maungwa; the ball appeared to be dropping short of mid-on, but Rainsford dived forward to make a catch out of it. Rogers gradually began to open up in his first major match for several months due to knee trouble, and pulled Friend for six over midwicket just before reaching his fifty off 79 balls. Three balls later he pushed forward at a ball from Maungwa that moved away from him and edged a catch to the keeper to depart for 52; 72 for three, and with little coming from the other end, Manicaland looked in some trouble.

 

Andre Soma made just a single before he played off-spinner Craig Ervine on to his stumps, and immediately before lunch Blessing Mahwire, after an impressive cut for four, was caught at short midwicket off Rainsford, bat and pad, for 5; 85 for five. Prosper Utseya made 13 before chipping Chari tamely to midwicket, followed by Stanley Chioza, who made 2 before losing patience, taking a swing at Chari and dragging the ball on to his stumps; 127 for seven.

 

Meanwhile Norbert Manyande hung in there, played straight and contented himself with picking up ones and twos. But finally he too gave his wicket away, driving half-heartedly at the accurate Chari and lofting the easiest of catches to mid-on; 130 for eight.

 

Tail-enders Leon Soma and Innocent Chinyoka seemed to decide that stodge wasn’t working and began to use the long handle. There was a mixture of slogs, snicks and an occasional Chinese cut before Soma (14) edged Rainsford to the keeper; 156 for nine. Chinyoka became yet one more batsman to throw his wicket away, driving half-heartedly to mid-off for 11 to give Chari five easy wickets in the innings.

 

The total of 156 gave Manicaland little credit, and most of the Midlands bowling was none too dangerous. Chari took five wickets by bowling accurately at a full length, conceding only 27 runs, but the vast majority of the batsmen threw their wickets away very easily. This was a criminal offence in view of Manicaland’s depleted resources. There were two cheap wickets each for Rainsford and Maungwa.

 

Midlands managed to lose their first wicket in the four overs possible before tea, as the batsmen chanced a second run to Chioza in the covers and Conan Brewer (4) was narrowly run out; 17 for one.

 

Friend came in and soon belied the players’ excuses that the pitch was too slow to score easily on, off-driving successive boundaries handsomely off Mwayenga after nudging a four and then hitting the next ball over long on for six; 20 came off the over. The fifty partnership came up off only 38 balls as Duffin from time to time decided to take a slice of the cake for himself. The Manicaland bowling, though, was much less disciplined than the Midlands’ had been.

 

Duffin was less spectacular than Friend, but he actually reached his fifty first, off 59 balls. He was helped by taking most of the strike; Friend soon followed, needing just 38 balls to reach the landmark. The century partnership came up off just 86 balls and was only broken as Manyande came on to bowl his first over and Duffin, taking one swing too many, edged the ball to the keeper for 64; 131 for two.

 

The wicket brought no improvement in the Manicaland bowling, or the fielding either, but Friend continued to play superbly, his driving in particular being most impressive, off front or back foot. By the close he was unbeaten on 91, and Craig Wishart with 37. Midlands look well set for an overwhelming victory.

 

Kwekwe has only a small cricketing community, shrunken by emigration, but they are to be complimented on their hosting of Logan Cup matches, especially in contrast to the indifference shown by Mashonaland. Nothing is too much trouble for visiting players and officials, there is no penny-pinching as in Harare, and the scoreboard, including scores of the batsmen at the wicket, is manned ball by ball. The crowd is small, although massive compared to Harare’s if head of population is taken as the benchmark, and the small number of volunteer workers is always friendly, cheerful and enthusiastic. Cricket matches at such venues are treated as a major event and they are a pleasure to attend and, no doubt, play in.

 

(Article: Copyright © 2004 John Ward)