A well-fought first day saw Mashonaland compile a rather disappointing total of 270 all out, with Craig Evans making the top score of 60 while Gavin Ewing took four wickets. Matabeleland, with Mark Vermeulen making a rollicking fifty, were 91 for three at the close.

Mashonaland made two changes from their match against Manicaland. Grant Flower, with his broken thumb, and Douglas Hondo, resting a troublesome buttock muscle, were replaced by the 17-year-old all-rounder Elton Chigumbura and Jordane Nicolle. Nicolle is a professional with Matabeleland but, with the loose arrangements permissible these days, is being allowed to play for Mashonaland as he is unable to break into the seamer-packed Matabeleland team, a decision that has caused some controversy. Matabeleland replaced Charles Coventry, who has a hand injury, with another seamer in Norman Mukondiwa, giving the six regular bowlers of medium-pace and above.

On a warm sunny spring day at Harare Sports Club, Heath Streak won the toss for Matabeleland and put Mashonaland in to bat. Sports Club is well known for assisting seamers in the first hour of each day, although the trend has been less pronounced since Dirk Moore-Gordon took over as grounds curator three years ago and started producing more reliable surfaces. Former national batsman Robin Brown, driven off his Karoi farm, has taken over this season. Streak was therefore gambling on taking early wickets before the pitch flattened out, but the assistance for the bowlers was nothing that openers Dion Ebrahim and Brendan Taylor could not handle.

Openers at this venue generally look to survive the first hour and then cash in. Ebrahim, who did not look in touch, lasted 47 minutes before, frustrated, he lashed out at Streak and was caught low down at extra cover for 8. Taylor, aged 17, shaped confidently against the international seam attack of Streak, Mluleki Nkala and Pommie Mbangwa, and is certainly a player to watch in the future. As he showed last weekend in Mutare, he can also bowl off-breaks and keep wicket.

Taylor still needs to learn to build a major innings at the top level, though, and he had made 30 before he, like Ebrahim, drove uppishly at Mbangwa and was caught in the covers, leaving Mashonaland at 47 for two. Mbangwa, eager to win back his place in the national side, plans to do more playing than commentating this season than last, when his regular absences from the field failed to impress the selectors. The problem is that his television work earns him more money.

Three were down for 57 as Tatenda Taibu (5) cut Streak to be caught in the gully, and it looked as if Streak’s gamble was paying off, though due more to poor batting than devastating bowling. Stuart Carlisle, who played some classy strokes, and Evans had to dig in for a recovery, and they were helped by the fifth seamer Norman Mukondiwa, whose footing was so disastrous that he bowled six no-balls in his first over, a number he reduced to three in his second and final attempt.

Evans, celebrating his unexpected return to the national side for the tour of Australia, was the more aggressive, hitting a couple of his customary mighty sixes, and the pair added 92 before Carlisle, on 32, tried to swing off-spinner Gavin Ewing to leg, but skyed a catch straight to long-on. Evans soon followed for 60, well caught by Nkala low at slip off Mbangwa. Again the balance had shifted, with Mashonaland struggling again on 164 for five.

Chigumbura made 11 before he drove at Ewing and was bowled. The score was boosted by five penalty runs when the ball hit the helmet behind the keeper, and then Blignaut hit a towering six over bowler Ewing’s head. With Ryan Butterworth as his new partner, Blignaut as usual responded aggressively to the situation, getting away with a few lucky shots but conversely hitting a number of good ones straight to fielders. Then he ran out of luck on 49, Keith Dabengwa picking up his third catch of the day, this one at short extra cover off Andre Hoffman.

Butterworth looked more confident than he had at the top of the order in Mutare, but he was fast running out of support. Tinashe Ruswa (0) was trapped lbw by Hoffman, while Waddington Mwayenga took a wild swipe at Ewing to be bowled. Last man Nicolle also failed to score, beaten and bowled by Ewing, who finished with four for 54, leaving Butterworth unbeaten on 38. Streak, Mbangwa and Hoffman took two wickets each.

Mashonaland’s total of 270 was unimpressive, but they have a history of poor first-innings performances followed by massive recoveries second time round. Matabeleland had 15 overs to face before the belated close, after their own slow over rate. They soon lost opener Wisdom Siziba (0), caught at the wicket off Andy Blignaut.

A spate of no-balls helped Matabeleland get moving, and then Vermeulen began to hit his usual languid boundaries, three in an over off Mwayenga, who frequently overstepped. He ran to his fifty off just 38 balls, with 11 fours all hit in front of the wicket. When he is on song, nobody makes batting look easier than Vermeulen. He just has to prove that he can do it against the top bowlers in the world.

Having reached his fifty, though, Vermeulen sparred at Chigumbura and was caught at the wicket for 53. Andre Hoffman (20) soon followed, the same way, and with night-watchman Keith Dabengwa and Mluleki Nkala holding the fort at the close, Mashonaland could feel slightly on top.
(Article: Copyright © 2003 John Ward)

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