Date-stamped : 13 Feb1998 - 10:26 13 Feb 1998 Cricket union still optimistic despite poor run By Jahoor Omar The Zimbabwe Cricket Union are not unduly concerned about the recent poor performances of the national senior team currently touring New Zealand, and believe there will be an improvement. The ZCU chief executive, Don Arnott, said they would obviously have liked better results "... but I think they will come right. They have to come right. And I think they will." Arnott was replying to questions concerning the recent depressing set of esults which have seen the Zimbabweans lose both the Test and one-day series to Sri Lanka last month and the first two one-day internationals against New Zealand last week. Not only have Zimbabwe now lost their last six limited-over games against full-strength Test sides but have yet to win a Test match since their sole victory over Pakistan in Harare three years ago. If that was not bad enough, Alistair Campbell's side on Tuesday sunk to new depths, losing by an innings and nine runs with a day to spare against New Zealand A in Dunedin after being bundled out for 67 in the first innings - their lowest first-class score in the Test era. Zimbabwe's lowest first-class total before the advent of Test status in 1992 was 56 against English county Leicestershire in Harare in late 1981 while their lowest score before Independence was 47 when the then Rhodesia played North-Eastern Transvaal in Pretoria in 1963/64. Arnott said he had been speaking frequently with manager Malcolm Jarvis. "You know the morale is high. They say everything is okay although they are battling in coming to terms with the different conditions from Sri Lanka." After closer scrutiny Arnott felt firstly the top order, front-line batsmen were just not making the runs. "But if you look down the order as well in the past Paul Strang and to a lesser extent Heath Streak have made some runs. They are not doing that," said Arnott who was concerned with Everton Matambanadzo's shoulder injury which could keep the pace man out for the rest of the tour. Meanwhile, Zimbabwe's second four-day warm-up game against provincial side Canterbury starting today has been moved to Aoranga Park in Timaru, about two hours drive from its original venue in Christchurch. ZCU adminstrative manager Ian Robinson said the New Zealand Cricket Incorporated said the New Zealand authorities would only say it was moved because of difficulties at Lancaster Park. Source: The Herald (Harare) 13 February 1998 Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com)