Day 2 close of play: CFX Academy 222 and 117/8 (Soma 16*, Chari 0*); Manicaland 250.

Accurate Manicaland bowling tilted the match against the CFX Academy by the close of the second day. After taking a first innings lead of 28, their bowlers seized the initiative by working steadily through a rather submissive batting order, and they should be left with not too difficult a target on the third morning.

Patrick Gada and Gary Brent continued to build steadily on Manicaland's overnight score of 122 for four, in reply to CFX Academy's total of 222. Gada, 67 overnight and with a century obviously preying on his mind, was fortunate to survive an easy chance to mid-off when on 71. He did not live long to enjoy it, being caught at silly point a few minutes later without adding to his score; his four runs of the day took more than 40 minutes.

Brent played a positive innings of 61 before being surprised and controversially given run out by a fine throw from Guy Croxford when attempting a run off a push by his partner to mid on. He did not receive much help from the later batsmen, though, until a determined ninth-wicket partnership between Andre Soma and Terry Denyer took Manicaland into the lead.

After lunch the promising 17-year-old Soma opened his shoulders to good effect, but Academy brother Leon broke the annoying stand by bowling Denyer with a low full toss for 12 and then finishing the innings by having his brother caught at mid-on for 22. Manicaland were all out for 250, a lead of 28.

The Academy second innings never looked confident. Under heavy skies, the batsmen seemed to find trouble in getting the ball away and wickets fell steadily against determined and accurate Manicaland seam bowling. Guy Croxford was the only batsman who looked capable of carrying the attack back to the bowlers, but by tea the Academy had lost four wickets and were only 20 runs ahead.

After the break the batsmen again got bogged down and Croxford added only three runs in 25 minutes before being caught off an uppish cut. For a further hour it seemed as if the team was to subside slowly without spirit, but then Blessing Mahwire discovered that it was possible after all to score runs against these bowlers.

A good partnership was developing between Mahwire and Leon Soma before they inexplicably seemed to go into their shells again, only for Mahwire (29) to be dismissed lbw just before the close after a 35-run partnership.

Unless rain intervenes – which so far it has not – the Academy will have a big task in their attempt to snatch an unlikely victory on the final morning.

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