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Masakadza becomes first black Zimbabwean to hit first-class century

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February 17, 2001 

History was made at Harare Sports Club today when Hamilton Masakadza defied the weather and the CFX Academy bowlers to record the first century ever scored in first-class cricket by a black Zimbabwean player, in only his second match at this level.

Mashonaland finished the truncated first day with their score on 253 for three, Andy Flower (69) and Craig Evans (33) as the not out batsmen.

Remarkably, considering the amount of rain Harare has had over the past few days, the match between Mashonaland and the CFX Academy started on time, although in very damp and overcast conditions. The Academy won the toss and put Mashonaland in to bat.

Mashonaland began their innings slowly. According to captain Trevor Penney, the pitch was slow and the outfield very slow and heavy, making run-scoring difficult. Three times the players were driven off by rain before lunch, the third time by such a deluge that further play looked unlikely.

The score was then 52 without loss after 19.4 overs, Gavin Rennie on 28 and Hamilton Masakadza 23. Neither batsman had been in much trouble as the bowling never looked threatening, but obviously quick scoring was scarcely possible.

Against all expectations, play restarted at 1.30. The Academy finally broke through at 65 when Rennie, cutting at Matthew Townshend, was caught low down in the gully by Keith Dabengwa. Inevitably, the next batch of rain arrived soon afterwards, sending the players off until tea. Twenty-seven overs had been bowled and Mashonaland were 69 for one (Masakadza 32, Trevor Madondo 2).

Play started again at 3.20, and the next wicket to fall was that of Madondo for eight, playing forward to Townshend and edging a catch to wicket-keeper Ryan Butterworth with the score 76 for two.

Masakadza, playing impressively, then settled into a solid partnership with Andy Flower, one of the few national players taking part in this round. He reached his fifty with a fine off-driven boundary and, as the light began to fade, became more confident and aggressive, outshining Flower who was happy to give him the limelight.

His century came off 170 balls and contained eight fours and two sixes. He was out to the next ball he faced, for exactly 100, playing forward to Guy Croxford and being bowled by a ball that just skimmed his bails to leave the score at 179 for three.

Craig Evans came in to hit a few lusty blows as the day's play went into extra time. The umpires could justifiably have taken the players off much earlier, but the batsmen were finding it so easy against innocuous bowling that they didn't consider it necessary. Surprisingly 67 overs were bowled in the day.

It is sad that the local authorities seem to consider the Logan Cup of so little importance. There was no advertising or encouragement to spectators to attend, and there would have been no working scoreboard had not third umpire Graham Gilmour himself searched out a member of the groundstaff to work the small one, which is limited to total, wickets, last man's score and overs.

If this is first-class cricket, it deserves first-class treatment. The players at the very least need to feel they are participating in a significant event, and that is hardly possible unless the administrators do something to make it so.