Mashonaland look set to wrap up their 15th successive Logan Cup victory at about lunchtime on the third day, as Matabeleland finished the second day 149 runs behind the champions with four second-innings wickets down.

The predictable highlight of Day Two was the batting of the Flower brothers, who ran up their 31st (Andy) and 17th (Grant) career centuries and made it look all so easy. Their fourth-wicket stand eventually realized 272 runs, just beating their fraternal Test-record 269, although Andy was probably unaware of it when he perhaps allowed boredom to end his innings at 115.

Grant, who soon followed him for 150, was for once the dominant partner, playing some sparkling strokes, while Andy never moved into top gear and never really tried to. He appeared to be little more than a jogger doing his regular ten-mile run for the exercise; sure, he needed skill to counter some quite impressive spin bowling from Gavin Ewing, but after facing the likes of Muralitharan, Harbhajan and Saqlain he well knew what was needed against lesser mortals.

The second new ball was taken soon after his departure, and Mluleki Nkala bowled impressively with it, dismissing Grant and Tatenda Taibu in quick succession, and then the prolific Craig Evans for 21. The strong Mashonaland tail did not really apply themselves, and Matabeleland must have been relieved to dismiss them for a mere 415; in their meeting in Bulawayo earlier this year Mashonaland exceeded 600.

The last thing Matabeleland needed as they went in 274 runs behind was a run-out, but some superb fielding from Andy Blignaut quickly removed Gavin Rennie this way for just 7. Charles Coventry was bowled by a superb yorker from Gus Mackay, perhaps the best no-ball of the year, but then two balls later was trapped lbw for 4 by a legal delivery. Barney Rogers (24) again got a good start without reaping a harvest, and Andre Hoffman's reluctance to leave the crease when given out lbw for 10 would have earned him a hefty fine at Test level.

Matabeleland have little real hope of avoiding defeat with no rain for hundreds of miles around, but their main hopes of respectability rest on Mark Vermeulen, a man who knows how to score big hundreds and was still there with 74 at the close. He was dropped at slip by Andy Flower as soon as Brian Murphy came on to bowl, and so lived to fight another day as Matabeleland finished on 125 for four.

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