CFX Academy: T Duffin, AJC Neethling, +WT Siziba, BG Rogers, GM Croxford, *SM Ervine, RE Butterworth, NB Mahwire, LJ Soma, MW Townshend, N Chari, IM Coulson.

Manicaland: *+NR Ferreira, GB Brent, MG Burmester, AL Taylor, JA Young, KPR Went, PK Gada, S Matsikenyeri, BW James, TG Denyer, AD Soma.

Close of play score: CFX Academy 224 all out; Manicaland 122/4 (Gada 67*, Brent 0*).

The first day's play in the match between the CFX Academy and Manicaland finished with the sides evenly balanced. The standard of cricket was perhaps not high, between two inexperienced teams, but it was always of interest. The best individual performances were four wickets from Gary Brent and fifties by Barney Rogers and Patrick Gada.

The conditions were damp but the rain had stopped, so play started on time at Alexandra Sports Club in Harare. Both teams announced new captains. The Academy, whose policy it is to give several players a chance, appointed Sean Ervine, who is actually making his first-class debut after missing the first three matches after injury. For Manicaland, Mark Burmester announced his resignation as skipper, standing down to give a younger player a chance. Neil Ferreira took over, although he will also be keeping wicket and opening the batting.

The Academy won the toss and batted first on a pitch in remarkably good condition after so much rain over the past few months. Andre Neethling and Wisdom Siziba gave them a steady start against steady bowling, without alarms or fireworks.

They put on 43 together in just under an hour with Siziba for once the dominant partner, before he lost Neethling (11) and Guy Croxford (16), both caught in the slips off the seamers. The consistent Barney Rogers enjoyed three lives in the same area early in his innings, while Siziba himself fell to a low catch at backward point for 34. Everybody had made a start but nobody capitalised on it.

The ball was not moving around much, so there seemed to be no real explanation for the tendency to snick slip catches. Ervine (1) fell in the same way, Brent's third wicket, just before lunch. Afterwards Ryan Butterworth kept the deep leg-side fielders in constant anticipation with his compulsive hooking, but it was in fact an uppish cut to gully that brought about his downfall after an enterprising 34.

Rogers' fourth "innings" (after being dropped three times) was a great improvement, although he did not emerge from his shell until leg-spinner Terry Denyer came on, and Rogers hit him for two sixes in an over. Finally, though, he fell to a stroke that he perhaps thought was safe, slashing a ball from Brent into the slips to be caught for 69. Nyasha Chari played a few bold strokes to score 23 before the innings closed at 224, when tea was taken.

Ferreira, who has failed to match his prolific form of last season, was the first Manica batsman out, bowled by a vicious yorker from last season's Manicaland player Leon Soma for eight. Soma followed it up with the wicket of Burmester (4), caught at mid on, and Manicaland were 30 for two.

At this stage Stuart Matsikenyeri joined opener Patrick Gada and steadied the ship. Gada, although playing a few risky aerial drives, ran to his 50 off the same number of balls, but then went right into his shell. Matsikenyeri (20), trying to force the pace, went down the pitch to be yorked by left-arm spinner Ian Coulson playing across the line. Coulson then changed ends and bowled Jason Young (10), also swinging across the line, just before the close.

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