1st Test: Zimbabwe v South Africa at Harare, 7-11 Sep 2001 CricInfo Live Report

1st Test: Zimbabwe v South Africa at Harare, 7-11 Sep 2001
John Ward

Pre-game: Day 1 - Toss,
South Africa 1st innings: Day 1 - Lunch, Day 1 - Tea,

CENTURIES FOR BOTH SOUTH AFRICAN OPENERS IN HARARE

The slaughter at Harare Sports Club continued after lunch on the first day on Friday as South African openers Herschelle Gibbs and Gary Kirsten both posted centuries in the first Test match against Zimbabwe.

In the first over after the interval Gibbs cut Heath Streak for two boundaries. He continued to lash any delivery slightly off line or length for four with time to spare; even given the dismal showing by Zimbabwe's bowlers, seldom can a batsman have made batsmanship look so easy at Test level.

On 97 he just escaped being run out when he responded to a call for a quick single by Kirsten, Streak's throw just missing the stumps. A leg glance off Price brought him his third Test century, which took him just 118 balls and contained no fewer than 20 fours and a six.

Immediately following afternoon drinks, the pair broke the record for the previous highest opening partnership in Tests against Zimbabwe, 214 by Craig Spearman and Roger Twose in New Zealand in 1995/96 and equalled by Daren Ganga and Chris Gayle in Bulawayo two months ago.

Gibbs then got away with several false shots, fortune again turning her face away from Zimbabwe as a couple of potential chances just evaded the fielders. But, if a side makes its own luck, Zimbabwe did not do much for theirs on this particular day, with poor bowling and some below-par fielding.

Kirsten lashed Friend for four through the covers to reach his 13th Test century, having faced 138 balls, with 19 fours. Finally, at 256, Zimbabwe broke through, as Gibbs, apparently trying to nudge Friend to third man, instead edged the ball on to his stumps. His 147 came off 168 balls and contained two sixes and 28 fours.

Kirsten on 110 survived a hard chance down the leg side to the keeper off Friend, and then on 130 when Streak failed to hold a sharp return catch. At tea, after 57 overs, South Africa were 286 for one (Kirsten 134, Kallis still to score).

SOUTH AFRICAN OPENERS PUT ZIMBABWE TO THE SWORD

The South African opening pair, Herschelle Gibbs and Gary Kirsten, put Zimbabwe to the sword on Friday, putting on 142 without loss before lunch on the first day of the first Test match at the Harare Sports Club.

Zimbabwe captain Heath Streak found some swing in his first over, but Gibbs was soon under way with four handsome cover-driven boundaries when Streak and Travis Friend gave him room outside off stump.

Then, by way of variation, he twice whipped Friend off his legs to the midwicket boundary to give his team a flying start.

Gibbs followed these with a couple of superb pulls to dispatch short balls for two more fours, taking his score to 33 off the same number of deliveries. Friend, in particular, struggled for accuracy and after four overs was replaced by Doug Hondo, who strayed outside off stump and immediately yielded two boundaries to Kirsten, bringing up the 50 in the 10th over.

Kirsten took three more boundaries in Hondo's next over, and Zimbabwe were taking a battering on the ropes. The flow of runs was aided by Streak's attacking field settings, but as Zimbabwe played only four bowlers their options were limited. Gibbs raced to 50 off 50 balls Left-arm spinner Raymond Price came on, and Gibbs soon chipped him over mid-on for four and six.

Price did find turn, though, and with successive balls beat Gibbs' forward defensive stroke and then had him edging just short of Campbell at slip, the ball beating the fielder to travel for four. Shortly afterwards he beat Gibbs with an arm ball but his desperate appeal for lbw was rejected, the ball going down the leg side. Thereafter the batsmen played him with more respect.

By lunch the scoring rate had diminished to just over five runs an over, and South Africa were 142 without loss off 28 overs (Gibbs 77, Kirsten 63).

SOUTH AFRICA BAT FIRST AGAINST ZIMBABWE AS POLLOCK WINS THE TOSS

South African captain Shaun Pollock had no hesitation in deciding to bat first after winning the toss on the first morning of the first Test match against Zimbabawe at the Harare Sports Club on Friday.

It was a warm, sunny day in Harare, ideal cricketing weather, as Zimbabwe took on South Africa in their first two-Test series. The pitch at Harare Sports Club looked a good one, for the ground's fourth Test match in six months.

South Africa have two debutants, pace bowler Andre Nel replacing Allan Donald, who withdrew from the tour due to illness, and left-arm spinner Claude Henderson. Zimbabwe, with three of their most recent pace bowlers injured, are giving a debut to Douglas Hondo.

The teams are as follows:

Zimbabwe: Dion Ebrahim, Alistair Campbell, Hamilton Masakadza, Craig Wishart, +Andy Flower, Grant Flower, Guy Whittall, *Heath Streak, Travis Friend, Raymond Price, Douglas Hondo.

South Africa: Gary Kirsten, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Neil McKenzie, Boeta Dippenaar, +Mark Boucher, Lance Klusener, *Shaun Pollock, Claude Henderson, Makhaya Ntini, Andre Nel.