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DESPITE looking vulnerable during the last hour of the second day’s play yesterday, Zimbabwe A finished with a score of 107 for the loss of Tino Mawoyo’s wicket in reply to South Africa A’s total of 455 for six wickets declared in the first four-dayer cricket match at Harare Sports Club.

Strong batting from the South Africa A middle order, with a century from Omphile Ramela and a powerful 89 from Dwaine Pretorius, put the visitors in a strong position, but Zimbabwe A have thus far risen to the challenge admirably.

The tourists resumed on their overnight score of 271 for three wickets, with Stiaan van Zyl on 69 and Ramela on 39.

The weather was cloudy and blustery, but it brightened up at times during the day.

Zimbabwe A began well, taking two wickets in the first half-hour. Van Zyl progressed slowly to 73 before he drove a ball from Shingi Masakadza uppishly into the covers and was caught. The partnership had put on 99 runs and the score was now 281 for four.

Ramela began the day in fine form, and reached his fifty off 127 balls, driving through the covers particularly well.

His new partner Dane Vilas, however, could score only a single before he edged a ball from Victor Nyauchi to second slip; 294 for five.

Pretorius looked in impressive form almost as soon as he came in to bat, attacking the bowling with power and confidence.

However, he and Ramela were kept under control by some superb bowling from Nyauchi, whose opening spell of nine overs contained four maidens and conceded only 12 runs for his one wicket.

At lunch the score had reached 346 for five wickets, with Ramela on 75 and Pretorius 33.

Pretorius really put the bowling to the sword after lunch. He took 14 off an over from John Nyumbu — who never looked in form with the ball — to reach his fifty off 63 balls, scored out of a partnership at that stage of 70 with Ramela.

Then he laid into Gerald Aliseni, hitting the paceman for two successive sixes. Ramela was rather too cautious with his century in view, and Pretorius overtook him in the eighties.

At this point Masakadza replaced Nyumbu and immediately struck, bowling Pretorius as the batsman unwisely tried to swing his first ball across the line to the leg boundary. Pretorius was out for 89, scored off 83 balls; he hit 10 fours and four sixes out of the partnership of 125, and the score was now 419 for six.

Vernon Philander came in with aggressive intent, while Ramela progressed slowly towards his century. Nyauchi returned for another spell, but was less accurate this time and caused the batsmen no trouble.

Ramela finally reached his century just following afternoon drinks, having faced 223 balls, and South Africa A declared at the end of that over, with a score of 455 for six wickets.

Ramela finished with 101 not out, having hit nine fours. It was a most impressive innings, although spoiled a little by his caution as he approached three figures. Philander was unbeaten with 21 off 24 balls.

Masakadza finished with the best bowling figures of three for 93, off 32 overs; no other bowler took more than one wicket.

Zimbabwe A opened their batting with Mawoyo and Brian Chari against the bowling of Philander and Hardus Viljoen. They could do little more than defend against the accuracy of the renowned Test bowler, but Viljoen was more expensive.

Tea was taken after nine overs with the score at 31 without loss, Mawoyo on 14 and Chari 16. Just before the interval Mawoyo passed 5 000 runs in first-class cricket, and just afterwards Chari was to pass 1 500.

With Philander coming off after the break, the batsmen flourished. Chari, so often a poor starter and a tense batsman, in particular showed some fine strokes and had 28 when the fifty came up in the 15th over.

He continued to attack, leaving Mawoyo well in his wake, and reached his fifty out of 77 with a six swung over midwicket off the off-spinner, Dane Piedt.

After drinks, though, Philander returned to partner Piedt and the runs suddenly dried up, as the batsmen were unable to get either bowler away.

Finally Mawoyo’s patience snapped, he lashed out at a ball from Piedt and was bowled for 30, with the total on 87. Ten runs had come off the previous 10 overs.

With Prince Masvaure in, 3.2 overs passed with just a single and a no-ball being scored, before Chari suddenly swung at a ball from Piedt and hit it over the midwicket boundary for six.

Despite their uncertainty the batsmen survived and Zimbabwe A finished the day with 107 on the board for one wicket, Chari on 71 and Masvaure 1 off 20 balls.

Action resumes today. — Zimcricket.