MATABELELAND v CFX ACADEMY

At Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo; 30, 31 March, 1 April 2001.

Day 1 report

Close of play: CFX Academy 320; Matabeleland 50/1 (King 18*, Vermeulen 25*).

Under unusually sunny skies and in warm conditions, the Academy faced Matabeleland at the immaculate Queens Sports Club ground in Bulawayo. The only bugbear was the lack of first-class treatment accorded the match, just as in Harare.

The Academy won the toss and decided to bat on what was expected to be one of curator Noel Peck's usual masterpieces. Two weak batting sides both needed an ideal pitch to build their confidence and make the match go the distance.

Heath Streak and Pommie Mbangwa obviously intended to give themselves a full workout in preparation for the series against Bangladesh. They bowled with accuracy, determination and swing, and two very confident appeals were rejected in the first two overs. After that Terry Duffin and Wisdom Siziba handled the bowling competently until the ninth over when the latter (1) was deceived and trapped lbw by Mbangwa's slower ball.

Croxford (14) batted well in partnership with Duffin before turning left-arm spinner Ian Engelbrecht to midwicket where Mbangwa took a good low catch. Duffin meanwhile was gradually finding his form and confidence and doubtless did himself a great deal of good with a lofted off-drive for four off Mbangwa. He reached a maiden fifty not long before lunch and played a few more powerful strokes before the interval.

He looked set for a century when Streak, returning for a third spell in an effort to break a troublesome stand, shattered his stumps with a superb yorker; Duffin made 74. Streak also dismissed new batsman Sean Ervine for 10, caught at mid-off after attempting a courageous hit over the field. But when he rested, his replacement Engelbrecht suffered at the hands of the aggressive Rogers, who ran to his fifty in a flurry of boundaries. It was not an innings without its risks, though, as several of his shots travelled at catchable height.

In the meantime the ground was filling up rapidly, and a grand total of 19 spectators could be counted at the drinks break, almost double the number at lunch. This was to swell to 31 after tea, not a ground record. With Ryan Butterworth also hitting loose balls from the rather mediocre spinners to good effect, the scoring rate mounted. Rogers unfortunately became bogged down in the eighties and, perhaps becoming frustrated, fished outside the off stump to off-spinner Mecury Kenny to be caught at the wicket for 86. But at 225 for five the Academy were at least in a better position than they had been all season.

Then Keith Dabengwa (4) was well caught by Mluleki Nkala - unable to bowl through injury - at silly point in the same over, Streak returned at the far end, and the pressure was on again. Butterworth survived until the tea interval with Campbell Macmillan as his partner, but immediately afterwards the latter (5) was tempted into a wild swing against Kenny, only to be deceived by the flight and trapped lbw. Nyasha Chari fell first ball, similarly deceived and driving uppishly to mid-off, and suddenly the Academy were 247 for eight.

Despite his four wickets, Kenny is not yet a good off-spinner, bowling too many loose deliveries, and Butterworth punished his wayward deliveries severely, hitting him for two big leg-side sixes. He raced to 94 before Streak returned with the second new ball, but it was to no avail. Two more fours, the second an unintentional slash over the slips, brought him to the Academy's first first-class century of the season, the second fifty coming off 34 balls.

Ian Coulson (6) supported him soundly before being bowled by a beauty from Streak, while Butterworth hit out until he fell to a tumbling catch at deepish mid-on for 113. The Academy had made 320, by far their best score of the season on the best batting pitch.

Matabeleland soon lost Charles Coventry (6), caught at first slip, but Mark Vermeulen was soon into his stride with some enterprising strokes. He and Ryan King stood firm until the close.

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