Match report Manicaland v Midlands 11 February 2004 by John Ward

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Scorecard:

Manicaland v Midlands

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At Alexandra Sports Club in Harare, in the Faithwear Series match postponed from the previous day due to faulty covers at the Old Hararians ground, Manicaland extinguished Midlands’ hopes of winning the tournament with a handsome nine-wicket victory.

 

The match pitch was a little better than that of the previous day, but it was still not a good one-day pitch. Midlands played it like a minefield and totalled 165. The vital ingredient of the match was a dynamic innings of 59 by Piet Rinke opening the batting for Manicaland, which made a mockery of the pitch’s reputation, and this enabled Neil Ferreira and Trevor Gripper to see their team home to a fine victory.

 

Manicaland won the toss and put Midlands in to bat, a decision that surprised and pleased Douglas Marillier, who expected the pitch to crumble later in the day. Stuart Matsikenyeri, however, said that he expected some early movement off the pitch and felt his team played better when chasing a target.

 

The early bowling was not very accurate, but Vusi Sibanda contrived to lose his wicket, driving loosely at Piet Rinke in the third over and slicing a catch straight to backward point to depart for 3. Midlands were 10 for one.

 

On the whole, though, Rinke erred in direction and, when he had sorted that problem out, bowled too short, and was soon replaced by the more reliable Gary Brent. Rinke on his day is a superb bowler worthy of international honours, but he is at present too inconsistent. Brent did the trick in his first over, as Duffin (19) fell in similar fashion to Sibanda, driving outside the off stump, failing to keep the ball down, and Andre Soma took another catch, a lower one this time; 40 for two.

 

For a while Brent and Mahwire tied the batsmen down with good accurate bowling, and when Alester Maregwede (5) tried to break the stranglehold with a risky stroke off Leon Soma he presented mid-off with a running catch. Soma replaced Mahwire and also bowled with reasonable accuracy, a trait for which he has not been renowned this season, and the bowlers remained on top.

 

Next to go was Douglas Marillier, who hit three boundaries in his 16 off 21 balls, but edged a low catch off Brent to Trevor Gripper at slip. Conan Brewer looked highly uncomfortable at first, especially against Brent, but then suddenly drove Gripper for six over long-on and began to settle down. Travis Friend, who had come in at number three, was batting quietly, selecting an occasional boundary, and they shared a 50-run partnership before a fine pick-up and throw from Richie Sims ran out Brewer at the bowler’s end for 15.

 

In the next over Friend’s valuable 41 came to an end as he drove a return catch to Gripper, and Midlands were 125 for six. It was harder for the batsmen to score now with Sims and Gripper bowling in tandem; it was the sort of pitch where the slower the bowling was, the harder it was for the batsmen to get it away, and in addition the spinners were turning the ball sharply.

 

Justin Lewis (3) tried to cut Gripper and edged a catch to the keeper, while Matthew Norvall (0) drove over the top of a yorker, but Nyasha Chari showed more spirit, driving Sims for four over long off and then swinging Gripper over the midwicket boundary. Then he drove straight back and Sims took a good low catch off his bootlaces. He made 10, and Midlands were 156 for nine.

 

The last-wicket pair did not look likely to achieve much, and after some unconvincing pottering around the crease Colin Delport was finally caught at the wicket off Mahwire for 24. Midlands were all out for 165, a defendable total on this pitch, especially if it crumbled later on. Gripper was the most successful bowler, with three for 34, while Mahwire was the best of the seamers after his first couple of overs.

 

Manicaland went in before lunch, and almost lost a wicket in the first over, bowled by Friend, as Rinke cut a ball just over the head of backward point. Rinke clearly believed his best chance of making a score on this pitch was to hit at everything, and he launched into a series of daring strokes, including a six over third man off Friend. He was fortunate to evade the fielders at times, and enjoyed a life at first slip off the luckless Friend. At lunch Manicaland were 49 without loss – off four overs - of which Rinke had 37 and Neil Ferreira 3.

 

Rinke reached his fifty in the second over after lunch; it took him 28 minutes and 27 balls. Marillier brought himself on to bowl his off-breaks, since Rinke was handling the seamers so well, but in fact in was left-arm medium-pacer Justin Lewis who took his wicket, Delport taking a fine diving catch at midwicket to put Rinke out for 59. It was scored off 33 balls, and Manicaland were 78 for one in the 10th over.

 

Gripper looked at home from the start and the normally dogged Ferreira astonished everybody by hitting Marillier over midwicket for six. Manicaland clearly felt they were on course for victory. And so it proved, as, with Rinke having taken the pressure off them as far as the required run rate was concerned, they cruised home with little or any difficulty. Ferreira sealed the match with another six, this time over long on. He finished on 49 and Gripper on 41.

 

It was not a good one-day pitch, but they showed it could be handled with sensible batting and confidence. As Shakespeare might have said about Midlands, “It is not in our pitch but in ourselves that we are underlings.” Mashonaland sit on top of the table now with 20 points from eight matches, with one round to come. They will at least share the championship, the only alternative being a tie with Manicaland should Manicaland beat Matabeleland tomorrow and Mashonaland lose to Midlands.

 

(Article: Copyright © 2004 John Ward)