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Southerns – 94 all out in 26.1 overs (Richmond Mutumbami 31, Roy Kaia 31, Johnathan Campbell 12; Ben Raine 4/21, Matthew Potts 3/17, Brydon Carse 2/23)
Durham – 339-6 in 56 overs (Alex Lees 116, Michael Jones 85, David Bedingham 66; Priviledge Chesa 3/95, Johnathan Campbell 2/30, Tapiwa Mufudza 1/63)
Day 1 – Stumps: Durham lead by 245 runs
A brilliant century by Durham and England Test batter Alex Lees was the highlight of the day at Harare Sports Club on Saturday, after Southerns had been tumbled out for only 94 runs in their first innings of this three-day match.
Southerns, batting on winning the toss, made a horrific start to their innings, losing their first three wickets within four overs for seven runs, their first three batters all failing to score.
First, Matthew Potts bowled Nkosana Mpofu and then Ben Raine accounted for Takudzwanashe Kaitano and Kudzai Maunze.
Roy Kaia fought back with a defiant 31, helped by Johnathan Campbell with 12, and then Richmond Mutumbami hit out boldly to score 31 off only 34 balls.
Just before Mutumbami was out, the score was 77 for four wickets and there was hope of a recovery, but this was not to be.
The last five contributed only nine runs among them as the home team was bowled out for 94 in only 26.1 overs.
Potts took three wickets for 17 runs and Raine four wickets for 21, both needing only six overs to wreak their havoc.
Then it was the Southerns bowlers’ turn to suffer, as Durham opened their innings with Lees and Michael Jones, and they immediately put the attack to the sword.
Runs came at a rate faster than a run a ball, with Lees in particular in brilliant batting form as Durham overtook the home side’s score without losing a wicket.
Mumba bowled a six-over spell that cost 57 runs, and Lees raced to his century off only 87 balls.
The opening pair put on exactly 200 runs together in 31 overs before Lees was finally caught by Donald Tiripano off Priviledge Chesa for 116, scored off only 101 balls.
Jones soon followed, also to Chesa, for 85 off 100 balls, but Durham continued to pursue runs aggressively.
David Bedingham was the best of the middle order, racing to 66 off 43 balls, while Graham Clark made 30.
Southerns have their work cut out going into day two.
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Northerns – 265-9 in 89.5 overs (Joylord Gumbie 140, Faraz Akram 73*, Timycen Maruma 15; Timm van der Gugten 2/13, Harry Podmore 2/27, Jamie McIlroy 1/0)
Glamorgan –
Day 1 – Stumps
Joylord Gumbie played the finest innings of his life when he scored 140 superb runs for Northerns against the Glamorgan touring team at Old Hararians Sports Club on Saturday, after his side had suffered a disastrous start in the other three-day match in the capital.
By an unpleasant coincidence, Northerns, like Southerns against Durham, lost their opening batters, Prince Masvaure and Tanu Makoni, without a run on the board to the Glamorgan pacemen James Harris and Jamie McIlroy within two overs.
Wessly Madhevere soon followed for 10, with the score at 15.
Gumbie, who came in at number three as a specialist batsman, responded to the crisis with dour defence, determined to see off the bowlers at all costs, a policy that worked to perfection.
He was the man mainly responsible for McIlroy’s remarkable figures of eight overs, all maidens, for one wicket in the morning.
Wickets continued to fall at the other end, and seven were out for 100 runs in the 49th over.
But Gumbie was still there, and he finally found in Faraz Akram a partner who could stay with him and stem the collapse.
In a superb fightback the pair defied the bowlers for 35 overs while they became more aggressive and added 155 for the eighth wicket.
At 255 Gumbie finally departed, just six overs before the close of play, having played magnificently to make 140 – he faced 252 balls and hit a six and 19 fours.
Akram stayed until play ended, having scored 73 not out from 112 balls so far, and the Northerns score was 265 for nine.
All Glamorgan players except the wicket-keeper bowled during the day.
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