Matabeleland take a lead of 150 into day four in Bulawayo

Matabeleland took the lead, as their Logan Cup match against Mashonaland remained open on the third day at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo on Sunday.

The hosts took a 150-run lead, closing the day on 180 in their second innings for the loss of four wickets in 62 overs to add to their first-innings score of 411, having bowled out their opponents for 441. Earlier in the morning Mashonaland saw Grant Flower scoring a century as they took a slender lead.

Mashonaland were five down when pace bowler Mluleki Nkala clean bowled Elton Chigumbura in the fourth over of the day. The Mashonaland night-watchman had made only one run.

Veteran Craig Evans came to the crease to join Flower and the two put up some resistance for the sixth wicket. Flower went on to get his century after toiling at the crease for 214 minutes, facing 169 balls and smashing eight fours and three sixes.

Matabeleland made a change to their bowling, as the Flower/Evans partnership seemed unbreakable. Andre Hoffman was brought into the attack, bowling medium pace, and the move paid dividends as he went on to dismiss Flower in his first over. He trapped him leg before wicket for 122, which came off 203 balls and comprised 12 fours and three sixes.

Evans and Prosper Utseya added 25 for the seventh wicket before Utseya departed for 11 runs, dismissed by off-spinner Gavin Ewing, with the catch taken by Mark Vermeulen.

Douglas Hondo did not last at the crease, scoring only four runs before he let fly at a Ewing delivery, with Jordane Nicolle making no mistake at long off.

Then came the most entertaining moments in the game so far when Amos Maungwa came on to the crease. Streak brought himself back into the attack and Maungwa had no clue on how to play him, defending all his deliveries before one of them hit him on the shoulders and raced away for a bye.

Maungwa was spared the wrath of Streak when he tried to defend a delivery from Ewing but, in comic fashion, the ball came back at him and bowled him. The small crowd must have had something to talk about but the Mashonaland comedian was back in the pavilion with a single run to his credit.

Evans and last man Waddington Mwayenga shared 12 runs for the last wicket before Mwayenga was given out leg before wicket to Ewing for six runs. The veteran Evans was left unbeaten on 43 runs as Mashonaland were all out for 441 in 124 overs, taking a lead of 30 runs.

Ewing finished with the best bowling analysis, taking four wickets at the expense of 111 runs with four maidens in 36 overs. Streak was close behind with two wickets for 69 with seven maidens in 26 overs.

In reply, Matabeleland saw their opening partnership of hard-hitters Charles Coventry and Vermeulen putting on 26 runs. Coventry was dismissed by Hondo, the same bowler who got rid of him for a first-ball duck on the opening day. He had put 20 runs on the board from 28 balls before he nicked a delivery from Hondo, which was caught behind by wicketkeeper Tatenda Taibu.

Left-handed Rennie joined Vermeulen and the two shared a second=wicket stand of 62 runs before Vermeulen was trapped in front by Mwayenga for 40. Rennie was joined by another left-ander Barney Rogers, with their partnership yielding 30 runs before Rogers, who scored a century in the first innings, drove straight at Flower who obliged with a catch from his own bowling to dismiss Rogers for 17 runs.

After 157 minutes at the crease, facing 105 balls and dispatching eight fours, Rennie reached the half-century mark. The left-hander could only add eight runs to his half-century when he pulled a Grant Flower delivery to be caught by Maungwa for 58 runs.

Hoffman and Ewing finished unbeaten with 22 and 17 runs respectively as the home team closed the day on 180 for four from 62 overs. Flower utilised the cracks on the pitch to finish with two wickets for 23 off 13 overs with five maidens. Hondo and Mwayenga have so far claimed one scalp each.