Online Reporter
Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
RAIN and bad light might have had the final say at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo last Sunday, frustrating the best efforts of both Tuskers and Mega Market Mountaineers to force a result in their Logan Cup encounter, which eventually ended in a draw, but the Mountain Goats coach, Stuart Matsikenyere was satisfied with his team’s performance.
On Monday night, Matsikenyere, who left for Pakistan the following day for the T20 International triangular series in Pakistan, also featuring Sri Lanka, as part of the team’s build-up to next year’s ICC T20 World Cup, told Post Sport in a telephone interview from Bulawayo, that he was impressed with how his team played, albeit having been denied the opportunity to full execute their game plan due to the adverse weather conditions.
Matsikenyere said: “We did not get to play as much cricket as we would have loved. Obviously, on the day, the weather really won as opposed to the game of cricket.
“Having said that, I am proud with the way the guys executed themselves. When we had the opportunities to get on the field, we went, and played the way how Mountaineers does its things. We executed our skills quite well.
“Tuskers came out and batted as well as they could have done against us, but we still managed to get all our bowling points. According to the time we had, I feel we got what we could out of the game.
“It is pointless to look at what could have been if we had the full four days. I am just looking at what we had. I am quite pleased with the guys’ efforts. Hopefully we see more of this good cricket going into the season.”
According to Zimbabwe Cricket match report, after three days dominated by slow progress, Tuskers resumed their first innings on 256 for four, with Aliakbar Hamid unbeaten on 50 and Clive Madande on 46.
Both pressed on positively on the final morning, Madande reaching 66 and Hamid compiling a steady 70 before Wellington Masakadza struck back for Mountaineers.
The left-arm spinner claimed the last four wickets for 46 runs as Tuskers’ lower order looked to accelerate, the innings closing on 321.
With time running out and weather threatening, both teams agreed to set up a possible finish.
Mountaineers batted briefly, managing only nine runs for two wickets in four overs – Alistair Frost falling without scoring and Nick Welch for one, while Brian Bennett remained unbeaten on seven.
Mountaineers then declared and, in a sporting gesture, Tuskers immediately forfeited their second innings, leaving Mountaineers a target of 313 to chase.
An exciting finish seemed on the cards as Bennett and Matthew Welch attacked from the outset, racing to 52 without loss in just eight overs – Bennett on 29 and Welch on 23 – before bad light and steady rain returned to wash away any hopes of play resuming.
In Kwekwe, persistent rain again meant no play was possible on the final day of the Logan Cup contest between Rhinos and Southern Rocks, and the match ultimately petered out into a draw.
