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

Zimbabwe 2nd innings: Day 4 - Lunch, Day 4 - Tea,
Live Reports from previous days

ANDY FLOWER FIGHTS LONE BATTLE IN HARARE

Zimbabwe were still making South Africa fight hard for victory at tea on the fourth day of the first Test match, because Andy Flower was still there with 115, his second century of the match as the home team reached 249 for five.

However, with two more partners gone during the session, the end was a little nearer, although there was still hope of making the tourists bat again.

Hamilton Masakadza enjoyed another life on 79, immediately after lunch, missed off a hard chance in the gully, as South Africa again failed to live fully up to their reputation in the field. He was more aggressive in intent after lunch and looked set to race Flower to the century.

Then Claude Henderson settled into a tight leg-stump line that tied him down, and finally got his man, caught at short leg off pad and bat for 85. It was a good decision by umpire Russell Tiffin despite a comparatively muted appeal, after both umpires during the morning had correctly, according to replays, given several close decisions in favour of the batsmen. The pair had added 186 for the third wicket.

A reverse sweep for four off Henderson in the last over before the second new ball brought Flower his second century of the match, the second Zimbabwean to do so after his brother Grant, and the first wicket-keeper to do so in Test cricket. Nobody else has performed the feat against the strong South African attack since readmission; in fact, since Australian Jack Moroney in 1949/50.

South Africa took the second new ball and Andy retreated into watchfulness. Grant, still with mental and technical problems, scored 16 before driving Makhaya Ntini straight to cover just before tea; Zimbabwe still needed 65 more to avoid the innings defeat.

ANDY FLOWER AND MASAKADZA KEEP ZIMBABWE AFLOAT IN HARARE

Sound batting by Zimbabwe's overnight batsmen, Andy Flower and Hamilton Masakadza, gave the home side their best session of the match to date, as they played through until lunch without losing a wicket. They took the score from 97 to 188, and at the interval Masakadza had 74 and Flower, on 95 twenty-four hours earlier, was on 89.

A few quiet singles from Flower, 43 overnight, took him to his fifty; this was the fifth time in his career he has scored a century and a fifty in the same Test match, and the fourth time in two years. It was his 11th fifty in his last 14 Test innings, and he has now played 15 successive innings without being dismissed by a bowler for less than 40.

An on-drive from Masakadza off Claude Henderson for four brought him his fifty and also Zimbabwe's first century partnership in four Tests against South Africa. Flower's next landmark was 200 runs in the match, for the fourth time in his career, all during the last two years.

Masakadza enjoyed a life on 56 when he cut Makhaya Ntini hard into the gully, and Shaun Pollock was unable to hold a sharp chance. Overall the South African fielding in this match was a little short of their usual standard of near perfection, with Zimbabwe also benefiting in both innings from several misfields. Another difficult but possible chance came on 70, when the same batsman edged a cut from Lance Klusener low past first slip Jacques Kallis, who was unable to get a hand to it.