Maregwede ton fails to stave off defeat for Midlands

Mashonaland 277 and 448 for 4 dec (Taylor 166, Rogers 97) beat Midlands 194 and 343 (Maregwede 107, Utseya 88, Cremer 6-147) by 188 runs
Scorecard

Mashonaland completed a convincing 188-run victory over Midlands at Kwekwe Sports Club at the start of the extra half-hour on the third day of four. They set Midlands a near impossible target of 532 and bowled them out for 343. The highlight of the day, though, was a brilliant century by the Midlands captain Alester Maregwede, the second of his career.

Mashonaland batted on for an hour in the morning, before declaring at 448 for 4 with Tatenda Taibu on 76 and Elton Chigumbura dashing 64 off 46 balls. Maregwede came in at 32 for 2 and immediately set about the bowling, taking a particular liking to the legspinner Graeme Cremer, whom he identified as the most dangerous bowler on a pitch which was still good, but was taking some turn. Maregwede raced to his fifty off 35 balls and then his hundred off 88, before finally driving a catch to mid-on. His 107 contained 12 fours and four sixes, all of them powerful straight hits.

Midlands continued to fight, with Craig Ervine hitting 67 and the allrounder Prosper Utseya 89, before he fell to a freakish catch at short leg. Cremer took the last wicket and finished with figures of 6 for 147.