A disappointing weekend's first-class cricket for Manicaland saw them lose their final game of the season to the Mashonaland second team by 74 runs at Mutare Sports Club last Sunday. It was disappointing from the Manicaland skills point of view, the lack of spectator support and the behaviour of the visitors.

The grassy pitch coupled with the amount of rain we've had in the last month fooled our young captain Neil Ferreira into thinking its nature had changed sufficiently to warrant fielding first. Born and bred Manica opening bowler Alec Taylor was dumbfounded on being tossed the ball after seeing his migrant skipper win the toss. Mutare Sports Club has been a bowler's graveyard for as long as cricket has been played there. Mashonaland promptly settled in and rattled up 325 by late afternoon.

Test players Stuart Carlisle with 76 and Dirk Viljoen (79) in a stand of 121 were prominent amongst the grateful run-getters, being particularly severe on a wayward four-over spell of leg-spin from Stuart Matsikenyeri. Ebrahim (33) and Gripper (31) also weighed in whilst Richie Sims toiled away with his off-spinners to finish with three for 68. Seamers Gary Brent and Jason Young picked up three apiece but failed to apply enough pressure to vindicate the decision to field first.

In falling 81 runs short of the visitors' first-innings total Manicaland threatened but never quite managed to live with their more fancied opponents. The reliable Sims hit a typically solid and reassuring 72 but it was the loss of Whittall for 29 to the mercurial talents of Andy Blignaut that ultimately put paid to their chances in the game. The 22-year-old son of Chivhu (formerly Enkeldoorn) farming stock, Blignaut has a beautiful whippy bowling action coupled with precocious batting talents, but his solitary test to date bears testimony to a failure to maximize bountiful talents. Those in the know rate him pound for pound higher than anyone in the local game, but the desire has been wanting so far.

Schoolboy Matsikenyeri looked so unhurried during his innings of 36 he might just as well have been playing a Churchill inter-house match as picking off the country's finest. Mashonaland ex-Falcon schoolboy Brighton Watambwa picked up 5/76 and Viljoen 3/66. Mashonaland went in a second time and set Manicaland an unlikely 306 for victory in two and a bit sessions. In pursuit of their declaration total Alistair Maragwede top-scored with 50, Gripper 30 and Zimbabwe wicket-keeper heir apparent Taibu 34. Once again the home bowlers, Gary Brent excluded, failed to bowl a tight enough line. Guy Whittall was unable to bowl in the match; leg injuries will keep him out until June at the earliest.

At no stage did the Manicas seek the safety of a draw, victory being their only chance of a respectable finish to the season. Once again all hope rested on Guy Whittall's shoulders, but when he forced off the back foot to cover on 68 the game was up.

Umpires Kevan Barbour and Allan Walsh were subjected to unreasonable levels of gratuitous appealing, back-chat and cynicism from Mashonaland, a development which the Zimbabwe Cricket Union should view with alarm.

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