Matabeleand 253 (Vermeulen 102, Mahwire 7-64) need 70 runs to beat Manicaland 157 and 165 (Ebrahim 59)
Scorecard
A brilliant 102 from Mark Vermeulen followed by excellent bowling put Matabeleland on the verge of victory after two days of their Logan Cup clash against Manicaland at Bulawayo Athletic Club.
Vermeulen's hundred was the anchor innings as Matabeleland scored 253 to take a first-innings lead of 96, and then Manicaland were bundled out for 165, leaving Matabeleland with two days to score 70.
Matabeleland resumed on 160 for 3, and Vermeulen, 83 at the close last night, made slow progress as wickets fell. Blessing Mahwire ripped through the middle order, finishing with 7 for 64, but Vermeulen finally brought up his hundred with a beautiful cover-driven four off left-arm seamer Allan Mwayenga before falling to Patrick Gada. The other meaningful contribution came from Gavin Ewing with 38 as the innings subsided.
Manicaland's second innings limped along much as their first had. The rot set in in the ninth over when the first wicket fell, Stuart Matsikenyeri losing his leg stump to Mluleki Nkala for 9. Dion Ebrahim top scored with 59 before Tawanda Mupariwa pegged back his middle stump, and the last eight wickets added only 58 runs.
Matabeleland used six bowlers and five of them picked up wickets. Nkala claimed three together with Mupariwa, Mpofu took two, while Strydom and Ewing took one each.