3rd ODI: Zimbabwe v England at Harare, 7 Oct 2001 John Ward |
Zimbabwe innings:
England innings: |
Henry Olonga began with a testing first over, but appeared to lose steam quickly. England were going nicely on to the attack when Trescothick (14), trying to dab a ball to third man, instead edged a catch to the keeper; England 28 for one in the fifth over.
Every so often Olonga bowled a dangerous delivery, a distinct improvement on anything else seen from Zimbabwe so far this season, but in the absence of Streak they were down to just two pace bowlers, Olonga and Gary Brent. The batsmen were not content to wait for the second-string bowlers to appear but played some fine attacking strokes, keeping the score going at about six an over.
Ramprakash had an escape on 23 as he pulled Olonga straight to Carlisle at square leg, and this normally superb catcher put it down. Viljoen dismissed Knight (41) immediately after drinks, though, skying a catch behind the bowler Marillier, and Thorpe scored just 7 before lofting a catch to deep midwicket off Grant Flower. England were 109 for three in the 21st over.
Doug Marillier (12) batted enterprisingly before unwisely trying to take a fourth run from a cut near the boundary and ran himself out. Flower went through a quiet period, accumulating mainly in ones and twos, before swinging Mark Ramprakash for a leg-side six and four off successive balls. But further disaster struck Zimbabwe as Streak injured his leg completing a quick single, requiring a runner and depriving Zimbabwe of their key bowler.
England believed they had Flower caught at the wicket on 99, but the umpire disagreed and he ran to his third one-day century off 97 balls. Streak played some lusty shots off one leg and passed his fifty, as the pair recorded Zimbabwe’s first century partnership for the seventh wicket in one-day internationals. Streak finally fell to a catch in the covers off Hoggard in the final over for 56, Viljoen skyed a catch first ball, while Flower the magnificent finished on 142. Hoggard finished with five wickets for 49 runs.
Alistair Campbell had yet another opening partner as Grant Flower was again tried in that role. Campbell was perhaps fortunate in avoiding an lbw dismissal in the first over, bowled by Hoggard, but Flower (1) was less blessed, hanging out his bat to the same bowler to be caught at first slip, as the two Yorkshire pacemen gave the batsmen a testing time.
Stuart Carlisle (1) soon followed, flashing at Sidebottom to be caught at second slip; Campbell (8) played a couple of handsome drives but then stepped in front of a straight ball to find the umpire less benevolent. Zimbabwe were 19 for three, following the same old hackneyed script.
Once again Andy Flower was called upon to haul his side out of the mire. He waited for the loose balls and laid into them as if burning with suppressed fury over the incompetence of his team-mates – which may well have been the case. When the 50 came up in the 12th over, he had 32 of them. He lost Craig Wishart (4) at 56, presenting square leg with a gentle skyer off Hoggard.
Hoggard’s opening spell of eight overs returned him figures of three for 28. He was replaced by Jeremy Snape, whom Flower for some reason seems to treat with much more caution than many more renowned spinners. At last Dion Ebrahim proved a partner worthy of the name, and Flower ran to his fifty off 48 balls. Ebrahim (22) was then smartly stumped by Jamie Foster, standing up to the medium-pace of Paul Collingwood, bringing in Doug Marillier to join Flower.
Both teams made two changes, with England playing Paul Collingwood and Ryan Sidebottom for Ben Hollioake and James Kirtley, the latter apparently suffering from a slight strain. Zimbabwe dropped Guy Whittall and Mluleki Nkala, neither of whom have done much at all recently, and included Doug Marillier, who last played in Perth where he made a name for himself against Glenn McGrath, and pace bowler Henry Olonga.
It was well worth the gamble of playing Olonga, often erratic, but much faster on his day than Zimbabwe’s other erratic pacemen. England will not have forgotten his six wickets for 19 runs at Cape Town two years ago.
Alistair Campbell had yet another opening partner as Grant Flower was again tried in that role.
The teams were as follows:
Zimbabwe: Alistair Campbell, Grant Flower, +Andy Flower, Stuart Carlisle, Craig Wishart, Doug Marillier, Dion Ebrahim, *Heath Streak, Dirk Viljoen, Gary Brent, Henry Olonga.
England: Marcus Trescothick, Nick Knight, *Nasser Hussain, Mark Ramprakash, Graham Thorpe, Andrew Flintoff, Paul Collingwood, Jeremy Snape, +Jamie Foster, Ryan Sidebottom, Matthew Hoggard.
© CricInfo
Date-stamped : 07 Oct2001 - 22:24