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Another match, another loss for a Zimbabwean side as Provinces were put to the sword by Griqualand West in their SAA Provincial Cup one-day match in Kimberley. Provinces started well enough, with Taurai Muzarabani keeping the Griqua top-order in check and taking some key early wickets, but Adrian McLaren was allowed to cut loose mid-innings, contributing to a 66-run 6th wicket stand that helped the home side to their eventual total of 212/9.

In reply, Provinces simply went to pieces, with Regis Chakabva (24) and Terry Duffin (17*) the only players to make any sort of worthwhile contribution to an innings that was shortened by rain. Faced with an eventual target of 142 runs from 23 overs, Provinces fell far short, ending the match on 77/6 and notching up yet another disappointment in a poor weekend.
Griqualand West 212/9 (45/45 overs; McLaren 81, Muzarabani 3/25), Zimbabwe Provinces 77/6 (23/23 overs; Chakabva 24, Swanepoel 2/13). Griqualand West win by 64 runs (D/L method).

Full scorecard below the cut.

Continue reading ‘A Bad Zimbabwean Weekend Continues…’

Important match for Zimbabwe Provinces, this one - they’re currently top of Pool B (although they’ve played one more match than most sides in the group), and Griqualand West are their nearest challengers. If they’re to have any hope of reaching the SAA Provincial Challenge final, then they must win this match.

Provices won the toss and elected to field, and captain Blessing Mawhire and Ed Rainsford were soon in the wickets, removing the Griqua openers to leave them in trouble on 3/46. From there, though, Petrus Koortzen and Wendell Bossenger dug in to put on 148 for the 4th wicket, giving particular problems to Graeme Cremer. But it was Cremer who eventually made the breakthrough, removing Koortzen, and from there regular wickets - and an impressive spell by Trevor Garwe (4/49) - saw Griqualand bowled out for 293, a disappointment for them when a score of 400+ looked possible at one point.

Provinces’ reply got off to a poor start, with Terrence Duffin’s run of poor form continuing (out for just 9) and Tino Mawoyo also failing to fire. After 25 overs play, Provinces closed the day on 72/3, giving the batsmen at the crease (Friday Kasteni and Regis Chakabva) a job to do in the morning, and the game fairly evenly-balanced.
Griqualand West 293 (Bossenger 88, Garwe 4/49), Zimbabwe Provinces 72/3 (Kasteni 24*, Pietersen 2/9)

Scorecard for the day is below the cut.

Continue reading ‘Honours Even on Day One Against Griqualand West’

Zimbabwe Provinces scored their second successive win in the SAA Provincial Challenge 3-day competition, claiming the scalp of Free State in a 5-wicket win that, while convincing enough at the end of the day, also raised a few worries along the way.

The match was one of a few good individual performances and plenty of disappointments for both sides. Batting first, Free State managed 208 all out, led by Tienie Fick’s 84 and useful contributions from van Rauenstein (39) and Erlank (41) - but the remaining batsmen all failed to reach double figures, with Ed Rainsford (4/39) and Graeme Cremer (4/71) enjoying rich pickings to give Provinces a good start in the match. Unfortunately, come their turn to bat, Provinces’ innings matched Free State’s - good individual performances from Steven Nyamuzinga (44), Cremer (42) and Tino Mawoyo (37), but very little from the rest of the lineup, and Provinces were bowled out for 203, giving Free State a first-innings lead of just 5.

Depending on your point of view, things then got worse for Free State, or better for Provinces. In an innings where the top score was just 30, Provinces ripped through the Free State batting. Admire Manyumwa (3/13) took care of the top order, before Ed Rainsford turned in a blazer of a spell to deal with the tail, taking 6 wickets for just 21 runs conceded, with Free State clocking up four ducks along the way. That left Provinces with a target of 107 to win.

In best Zimbabwean fashion, though, Provinces’ top three batsmen managed to score nothing between them, as Mawoyo, Friday Kasteni and Terrence Duffin all departed without scoring, leaving the side looking decidedly wobbly. Regis Chakabva and Graeme Cremer steadied the innings, though, and proved a capable pair as they finally guided Provinces to the win.

A win is a win, of course, but once again a Zimbabwean side has suffered from wobbly batting. Sometimes I wonder how long it’s going to be before this particular bugbear is finally laid to rest. On the plus side, Ed Rainsford and Graeme Cremer must surely both be back in contention for the national side (quota issues allowing), after excellent performances.
Free State 208 (Fick 84, Rainsford 4/39) & 101 (Fick 30, Rainsford 6/21)
Zimbabwe Provinces 203 (Nyamuzinga 44, Cremer 42, Terblanche 3/40) & 107/3 (Cremer 31*, Nyamuzinga 21*, Kops 2/34)
Zimbabwe Provinces win by 5 wickets

Full scorecard below the cut. Next match: Griqualand West v Zimbabwe Provinces, 31 Jan - 2 Feb and 3 Feb 2008.

Continue reading ‘Zim Provinces Win Against Free State’

Provinces’ batsmen finally fired to deliver an impressive performance, while Ray Price marked his return to Zimbabwean colours with a more-than-useful 4-wicket haul, to give Provinces their first win of the SAA Provincial Cup campaign, beating Northerns by 21 runs. With the top order of Tino Mawoyo (85), Regis Chakabva(60) and Hamilton Masakadza (62) all scoring half-centuries, Provinces were able to rack up 265 from their allotted overs, for the loss of just 3 wickets as Northerns struggled to make headway against batsmen who suddenly seemed to have a purpose. Stuart Matsikenyeri also contributed a useful 44.

In reply, Northerns’ openers Pieter Malan and Alwyn Viljoen put on 61 runs before Viljoen fell to a catch by Regis Chakabva off the bowling of Admire Manyumwa. Malan and Dikgale put on another 38 together, but from there Northerns fell apart, with Ray Price (4/48) playing a large part in their demise, helped by some acrobatics in the field. Northerns were eventually bowled out for 244 in their 44th over, giving Provinces reason to celebrate as they took their first scalp.

Good performances all around in this match, even moreso than in the 3-day game before it, and a little ray of sunshine for the side to bask in for a while.
Result: Zimbabwe Provinces 265/3 (Mawoyo 85, Maskadza 63*, Chakabva 60; Phangiso 1/34), Northerns 244 (van Biljon 82, Malan 46, Price 4/48). Zimbabwe Provinces win by 21 runs. Full scorecard below the cut.
Next match: versus Namibia in Windhoek, on 13 January 2008.

Continue reading ‘Provinces Score First Win of SAA Provincial Campaign’