Champions Mashonaland, struggling shortly after lunch on the first day oftheir match against Midlands at Kwekwe Sports Club, recovered to total 326
John Ward25-Apr-2003Champions Mashonaland, struggling shortly after lunch on the first day oftheir match against Midlands at Kwekwe Sports Club, recovered to total 326.A career-best innings by Brian Murphy, assisted by Elton Chigumbura, led thefightback, despite six wickets from Sean Ervine. At the close Midlands werestruggling at 38 for two.Midlands made one change from the team that beat Manicaland, bringing in theunpredictable David Mutendera in place of Anthony Ireland, who was not givena bat or bowl in Mutare. Mashonaland were without Dion Ebrahim and GrantFlower, both resting minor injuries before their tour of England; however,Brian Murphy was back after injury and the promising 17-year-old batsmanBrendan Taylor came into the side.Midlands lost their sixth consecutive toss in Logan Cup cricket, andMashonaland decided to bat on a very flat-looking pitch. Taylor was makinghis debut for the full Mashonaland side, although he did play forMashonaland A at the age of barely 16 last season, and earlier this seasonscored a double-century opening for Mashonaland B. He again showed his rareconfidence, taking runs quite fluently off the Test bowlers Travis Friendand Ervine, although getting away with a couple of dodgy hooks.He soon lost his opening partner Trevor Gripper (3), who drove at anoverpitched ball from Ervine, who plucked a sharp chance off his bootlaces.Gripper, appalled by his own aberration, could hardly tear himself away froma pitch that promised hundreds of runs. His replacement Stuart Carlislealso could have fallen cheaply; trying to shoulder arms, he touched a ballto the keeper, who fumbled the catch and allowed the batsmen to take tworuns.There was a bit of early movement, but once again the Midlands pacemen werenot accurate enough to put consistent pressure on the batsmen, with Friendunable to break his habit of pitching too short. Taylor after his brightstart became bogged down and was eventually caught down the leg side offErvine for 22. Mashonaland were 50 for two.Captain Tatenda Taibu came in next, at number four due to the shortage ofavailable batsmen. He was content to play quietly as Stuart Carlisle tookcharge of the bowling, selecting his shots well, with one or two impressivestraight hits, and including two of his huge trademark sixes over midwicket.He fell for 60, though, caught at bat-pad off Raymond Price; 116 for three.Taibu never really took charge of the bowling, though he did keep the scoremoving before being out for 38, playing the ball on to his stumps as hetried to sweep Price. Craig Evans had only 7 to his credit when given outlbw padding up to a ball from Ervine that moved back off the pitch, theumpire taking an age to give him out. Mashonaland were looking none toohappy at 155 for five.Then came the fine fighting partnership between Chigumbura and Murphy thattook the initiative. Chigumbura began slowly, but played with fine shotselection, choosing the right ball to hit, and drove Price for a superb sixover long-off to bring up his fifty. Murphy looked more aggressive from thestart, but wasn’t always able to find the gaps – unless he hit the ball toDavid Mutendera, who had a nightmare in the field. Captain Dirk Viljoendidn’t seem to fancy him as a bowler either, understandably given hisdisastrous season with the ball, but he did not get a chance to show if hewas coming right in that department. Again left-arm spinner Ian Coulson wastotally ignored with the ball, suggesting vast differences in opinion andpolicy between the Midlands selectors and their captain.Chigumbura (67) was eventually out rather controversially after apartnership of 108. There was an appeal for a catch at bat-pad on the offside off Viljoen’s bowling, but umpire Justice Tapfumaneyi, although certainthe bat had made contact on the ball, was uncertain as to whether it hadcarried. Before he had chance to call in the square leg umpire, who wasinitially unable to hear what the question was, the fielders made a ratherunsightly protest, and eventually the umpires confirmed the dismissal.Prosper Utseya (7) lasted until tea but was out to the first ball after theinterval, Terry Duffin’s third catch of the innings at bat-pad and his best,as he dived far to his right to hold it. Douglas Hondo (also 7) held an endup until he chased a ball from Ervine, with the second new ball, that waswell down the leg side, to be caught by the keeper.Murphy, looking towards his maiden first-class century, seemed to loseconfidence and slowed down while partnered by Amos Maungwa. He was droppedby Viljoen off a skyer when 76, but only added one run before driving acatch to the same fielder. Finally Waddington Mwayenga, after hittingErvine for six, skyed a catch to extra cover, scoring 12, with Amos Maungwanot out 9.The total was 326, and Ervine had six wickets for 82 to reward him for hismarathon bowling spells that kept him going for 28.3 overs. He kept theball up to the bat and sometimes moved it in the air and off the pitch;occasionally he lacked accuracy but never persistence.Vusi Sibanda again failed to reproduce in the book the talent that won him atrip to England. With only 4 to his credit, he drove unwisely at WaddingtonMwayenga and was easily caught at mid-off off a leading edge. Hondo struckanother blow before the close, bowling Duffin for 18 with a full-lengthdelivery, and there was almost a third wicket as Douglas Marillier wasdropped at slip off Gripper. Marillier (13) survived until the close, incompany with Craig Wishart (1).