Match report Mashonaland v Namibia one-day match 2004/05 by John Ward

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Scorecard:

Mashonaland v Namibia

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Mashonaland went down to their third successive defeat in the Faithwear One-Day Series, losing this time by a convincing 101-run margin against Namibia. All-rounder Gerrie Snyman was the leading player for the winners, scoring a dynamic unbeaten 112.

 

Namibia, put in to bat, were struggling at 90 for four in the 25th over. They owed much to their captain Deon Kotze, who played a sound innings of 56 and paved the way for the Snyman onslaught. Snyman faced only 79 balls and hit 10 fours and 2 sixes against at attack that lacked the injured Douglas Hondo. However there was a surprise return for former national player Bryan Strang, who steadied an inexperienced bowling attack. The final total was 279 for five.

 

A slow start meant that Mashonaland would always be struggling, but they did reach 96 for one at one stage, with Brendan Taylor scoring 52. Then the middle order collapsed, and last season’s champions slipped to 178 all out, Rudi van Vuuren, who started the slide, taking three for 38.

 

There were several changes in the Mashonaland team after their disastrous match against Midlands the previous Friday. Former Test left-arm seamer Bryan Strang, finally cleared again to play representative cricket after making some outspoken comments last season which resulted in his not being considered for selection.

 

For a change, Namibia lost the toss, but they still had their preferred option of batting first, as Tatenda Taibu put them in. Strang’s first over was a little nervy, and he bowled off a shorter run than in his international days, but he soon settled down to bowl some testing deliveries. Danie Keulder hit the first boundary of the day when he drove newcomer Trevor Garwe through the covers in the second over.

 

J B Burger was still not fit enough to play, and is dubious whether he will play again on tour, wanting to be fit to play England next weekend. Stefan Swanepoel went back to opening with Keulder. He made 12 this time before he sparred at a rising ball from Strang outside the off stump and edged a catch to the wicketkeeper Taibu. Namibia were 29 for one in the ninth over.

 

Riaan Walters came in as if determined to carry on from his big century against Zimbabwe A on the Saturday. He pulled a short ball from Saif Khan, another debutant, for four and then smashed him over extra cover for another boundary. Two more boundaries followed in the next over and Khan became the second debutant to be hit out of the attack.

 

Strang took a break after an opening spell of 7-2-17-1. He was replaced by Garwe, bowling a second spell from the other end and with more fortune, as he picked up the vital wicket of Keulder, who has not been as prolific this tour as he was on the last. Keulder (19) leaned forward and drove a ball into the covers, but Chibhabha picked up a low catch; 67 for two in the 17th over.

 

In his next over Garwe did even better, removing the dangerous Walters, who hammered an off-drive straight at Kuda Samunderu, who took the ball at head-height. Walters scored 31 off 31 balls and Namibia had to regroup with two new batsmen at the crease at 69 for three in the 19th over.

 

Hugo Ludik (8) was next to go, as leg-spinner Graeme Cremer came on to bowl. Moving down the pitch, Ludik tried to drive, but was deceived by the length, almost yorking himself and chopping the ball on to the stumps off the bottom of his bat. As he walked off he slammed his bat petulantly into his pads. Namibia were not at all comfortable at 90 for four in the 25th over.

 

Namibia stayed alert, though, which was more than Mashonaland did in the field, and the batsmen were able to steal several bonus runs through overthrows. Gerrie Snyman, without going for any of the big shots as he sometimes does, proved a good positive partner for Dion Kotze, who progressed to a steady fifty off 86 balls. Snyman, helped by a six over midwicket off Khan, was not long after, his fifty taking only 45 balls.

 

Strang came on again in the closing overs, and immediately Snyman launched a massive drive that hurtled straight to long-off, who put it on the ground. He took advantage with some heavy treatment, 10 runs coming off the over. The 200 came up in the 44th over, and the pair had already put on 110 of those in partnership. Snyman had by now overtaken Kotze.

 

Finally Kotze fell, trying to drive Chibhabha for a straight six, but he did not time it well and holed out instead to Bernard Mlambo at long-on for 56. Namibia were 212 for five in the 46th over.

 

Strang continued to suffer from the dropped catch off his bowling, as Snyman hit him for a straight six into the sightscreen. It was now a race to see if Snyman could reach his century before the end of the innings, and he certainly looked on course for it. In fact he reached it in the penultimate over, with a little flick of the wrists off Khan, and the ball sailed over the head of long-on for another six.

 

With Neil Rossouw helping with 16 not out off 10 balls, Snyman finished unbeaten with 112 off 79 balls, which included 10 fours and 4 sixes. Namibia had a fine total of 279 on the board for five wickets, a fine recovery from the half-time score of 90 for four. Garwe’s figures of two for 48 were statistically the best, but in reality he was one of three very inexperienced bowlers who struggled; Strang, Chibhabha and Cremer all did quite well, but did not have enough support.

 

Off the second ball off the Mashonaland reply, the left-handed Bernand Mlambo was dropped low at second slip. The batsmen went into their shells, and it was not until the fourth over, when Brendan Taylor square-cut Bjorn Kotze to the boundary, that a run came off the bat. After 10 overs the score was 29 – of which Mlambo had 1. He had particular difficulty in even getting a bat to the ball moving away outside the off stump, and Namibia were probably quite happy to see him playing and missing there so often. Finally, in the 11th over, he did get his bat to one, and was rewarded with a snick through the slips for four.

 

That outrage must have convinced Namibia that he had outstayed his welocme. Kola Burger got a ball to lift, it took the shoulder of Mlambo’s bat and Deon Kotze ran round from the slips to take the catch. Mlambo made 5, and the total was 33 for one in the 11th over.

 

Samunderu played some good strokes, although dropped at midwicket when he had 20, but after 20 overs the total was only 69 and the required run rate now just above seven an over. Taylor, trying to speed up, was almost caught on the midwicket boundary when 33, but Rossouw made a very weak one-handed attempt and the ball went over the boundary. Taylor seemed to have some sort of death-wish, as he lofted the next two balls, with less power, as he attacked the bowling, but managed to evade the fielders both times.

 

Taylor reached his fifty, but shortly afterwards tried to glide to third man a ball from Rudi van Vuuren that was too wide for the shot, and edged a catch to wicketkeeper Ludik. He made 52 off 62 balls. Later in the same over Taibu (1) was beaten and also edged a catch to the keeper; next over, bowled by van Vuuren, Samunderu had a big swing and was bowled. Three wickets had fallen for just 5 runs and Mashonaland were 101 for four in the 26th over.

 

Barney Rogers and Chibhabha had no time to play themselves in if they were to attempt the target, and Chibhabha might have been caught on the midwicket boundary, had not the fielder been slightly in from the rope so that the ball passed over his head for a one-bounce four. In the next over, though, an attempted drive against van Vuuren screwed off the edge of his bat and Walters held an awkward catch near the point boundary. Chibhabha had made 9 and Mashonaland were 124 for five in the 29th over.

 

The procession continued. Rogers (16) moved down the pitch to try to attack Keulder, but only succeeded in yorking himself and being bowled; 133 for six. Graeme Cremer attempted a risky single on the leg side and Deon Kotze made sure he paid the price; 136 for seven in the 34th over. Another foolish run-out followed, as Tafadzwa Chihota fell victim to another good throw, this one from local substitute fielder Malcolm Waller, son of Andy; 153 for eight in the 39th over.

 

The experienced Strang is not one to panic, and he produced a few lusty blows before being drawn forward, beaten and bowled by Deon Kotze for 21 off 26 balls, including a leg-side six off Keulder. Mashonaland were 166 for nine in the 41st over. The last pair of Khan and Garwe hit briefly and gaily before Khan (9), attempting another big hit, top-edged the ball back to bowler Keulder. Garwe, dropped off a big hit, was not out with 3.

 

Mashonaland were all out for 178 with almost 7 overs to spare. Van Vuuren returned the best figures of three for 38, while there were two wickets for Keulder. After three successive defeats, Mashonaland face serious problems, probably more a matter of morale and attitude than ability, as they are stronger on paper than the other provinces.

 

(Article: Copyright © 2004 John Ward)