Midlands overwhelm CFX Academy

Overnight: CFX Academy 200/8 dec; Midlands 89/3.

A dry night in Kwekwe meant that play could start on time on the third and final day of the match between Midlands and the CFX Academy. The Academy batted on for 50 minutes without losing a wicket, and then declared, as they had planned. Barney Rogers did the bulk of the scoring, finishing on 44, while Croxford scored 8. Midlands went in again with a lead of 82.

Ray Price survived two chances in Lewis' first over, but John Vaughan-Davies, frustrated at his inability to get the score moving, swung at a ball from McMillan and was given out caught down the leg side for 8. He departed with a couple of loud verbal comments that would certainly have brought action from the match referee, had there been one.

Craig Grant took a while to settle in, but then began to indulge in some big hits off the spinners. He hit three big sixes in quick succession before driving Coulson straight to Rogers at deepish mid-off to be out for 36. Price scored 20 and Colin Delport 16, both being caught at short leg by Blessing Mahwire off Rogers.

Craig Wishart also made 20, being overshadowed by a hurricane fifty, reached off 32 balls, by captain Doug Marillier, who made light of the heavy outfield with four sixes and four fours. When he was yorked by McMillan for 57, he immediately declared at 161 for six. The Academy were set 251 to win in a minimum of 55 overs.

They struggled from the start, losing two wickets for 12 runs to the pace of Doug Hondo. Then Rogers, after an uncertain start, began an assault on Price, who had opened the bowling with Hondo, hitting him for 16 in an over. Wishart then dismissed him for 35 with perhaps unintentional subtlety: three appalling deliveries were dispatched to midwicket for four apiece, then the good one surprised Rogers enough to have him caught at slip. When Price spun out Siziba (24) and Croxford (26), the score was 110 for five and the slide began towards defeat.

The inexperienced middle and lower order had little resistance to offer, and the Academy were dismissed shortly after tea for 139, giving Midlands a rare and much-appreciated victory to 111 runs. Ray Price bowled throughout the innings to take four for 51, while part-time off-spinner Doug Marillier picked up the somewhat flattering figures of three for 32.