da bet7： There could be an interesting finish on the fourth day of the match betweenthe CFX Academy and Mashonaland A at Country Club in Harare
da bet7： John Ward03-Mar-2002There could be an interesting finish on the fourth day of the match betweenthe CFX Academy and Mashonaland A at Country Club in Harare. Mashonaland A,after leading by 73 runs on first innings, failed in their second inningsand the Academy were left with 223 to win. However, Mashonaland A seizedthe advantage by taking two Academy wickets for 18 runs by the close.It took the Academy batsmen two overs to score the four remaining runs toavoid the possibility of a follow-on, without losing either of their tworemaining wickets. Pete Rinke and Nyasha Chari soon looked settled, playingsome well-judged strokes and handling the second new ball capably. Rinke on48 survived a low chance to first slip off Amos Maungwa, before reaching hisfifty off 163 balls. After the drinks interval, though, they showed signsof losing concentration, hardly surprising as with their regular diet ofone-day cricket they would rarely, if ever, have been required to bat for solong.Aided by some poor fielding, however, they stayed for almost two hours untilcaptain Henry Olonga in desperation brought himself on to bowl for the firsttime today and had Chari (24) playing the ball on to his stumps via theinside edge. The declaration came soon afterwards, with Rinke on 84, at 273for nine, 73 runs behind. This gave the Academy two overs’ bowling beforelunch, during which they scored five without loss.After the interval Mashonaland A quickly lost Brendan Taylor (4), wellcaught low in the gully off Jordane Nicolle. Mark Vermeulen, whose noisybehaviour on the field during the Academy innings had excited adversecomment, also scored only four before essaying a wild swipe across the lineto be bowled by Arnold Rushambwa, and Mashonaland A were 30 for two.With the removal of the scorer of more than half of their first-inningsruns, Mashonaland A looked vulnerable and the batting lacked conviction.Opener Andre Neethling was next to go, caught at the wicket off Rinke for25, and was immediately followed by Alester Maregwede, caught at mid-ontrying to pull Nicolle. Mashonaland A were now 54 for four.Elton Chigumbura and Andrew Durham dug in but, on the stroke of tea, Innocent Chinyoka came on and bowled out Durham for 3, leaving Mashonaland A in considerable trouble, 63 for five at tea. Chigumbura, aged 15, was theonly specialist batsman left, but he handled the pressure well.Mashonaland A have a long tail, and things worsened for them when the stubborn Norbert Manyande (9) was run out by a brilliant direct hit from Chinyoka, fielding near the long-leg boundary, attempting a second run. Chigumbura compiled an impressive 39 before being caught at slip off the ubiquitous Chinyoka, the score at this stage being 127 for seven.With their long tail, Mashonaland A were not expected to last much longer,and they did not disappoint the Academy, although Shepherd Makunura scored auseful 21 not out. The eventual total was 149, leaving the CFX Academy 223to win.Henry Olonga, perhaps fired up by his team’s poor batting, opened the bowling with a fiery spell, but failed to break through. David Mutendera took the wickets, trapping Chinyoka lbw for 6 and then forcing night-watchman Arnold Rushambwa to play the ball on to his stumps without scoring. Mashonaland A will therefore enter the final day as favourites.
