Matabeleland forced to follow in Bulawayo

Matabeleland were forced to follow on as they failed to score the required 445 runs to make their opponents bat again on the third day of their Castle Lager Logan Cup match. In reply to the visitor's declared score of 644, the home side were all out for 392 off 100 overs in their first innings and at the close of play were 109 for four after 49 overs.

Matabeleland resumed at their overnight score of 197 for five, with Gavin Ewing and Mike McKillop leading the fightback. The pair put up 162 runs for the sixth wicket, staying at the crease for the entire two and a half-hour first session. The home side went to lunch on 349 for five with the two still unbeaten.

Ewing however departed in the second over after lunch when he was trapped leg before wicket by medium pacer Blessing Mahwire for 83. His dismissal marked the collapse of the Matabeleland innings as it had centered on his partnership with McKillop. The middle order and the tail soon collapsed with four wickets falling for 33 runs. Colin Williams could not found his mark as he was dismissed the same way as Ewing, falling lbw to Angus Mackay without scoring.

Mahwire came on to mesmerize the Matabeleland batsmen when he took the last three wickets of the innings. He grabbed the wickets of Matthew Townshend, McKillop and Tawanda Mupariwa to shatter the home team's hopes for a big score.

The last two men in, Mupariwa and Norman Mukondiwa, offered some resistance but the innings eventually crumbled when Mahwire claimed the final wicket, bowling Mupariwa for 13. Mukondiwa was left unbeaten on 8 runs. Mahwire emerged as the pick of the visitors' bowlers, taking four for 40 in just 10.2 overs with three maidens. Mackay and Matambanadzo took two wickets each while Rogers and Craig Evans took a wicket apiece.

In their second innings Matabeleland suffered a setback when captain and opening batsman Ryan King was dismissed lbw by Mackay without scoring. Wisdom Siziba, Mecury Kenny and Warren Gilmour were to follow their captain. King decided to change the batting line-up, bringing in Mukondiwa, who was unbeaten in the first innings, at number six and this ploy worked out well as Mukoniwa played an anchor role, letting Strydom go for the runs. The two were left unbeaten at the close with Strydom on 40 while Mukondiwa had score 6 runs.

The home side will be relying on their middle and tail-end batsman to bat for the whole day on Monday if they are to succeed in forcing a draw.