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 5 - Lunch, Day 5 - Innings,
South Africa 2nd innings: Day 5 - Result,
Live Reports from previous days

SOUTH AFRICA TAKE HARARE TEST DESPITE FLOWER'S HEROICS

South Africa completed a nine-wicket victory over Zimbabwe midway through the final afternoon at the Harare Sports Club on Tuesday.

Set 78 for victory, the South Africans lost Boeta Dippenaar, promoted to open in place of Herschelle Gibbs, to the first ball of the innings when he was trapped leg before by Travis Friend.

The setback was only of a temporary nature, however. Jacques Kallis simply picked up where he had left off in the first innings, reaching 42 as he hit the winning boundary while Gary Kirsten followed his first innings double century with an unbeaten 31.

The second Test starts in Bulawayo on Friday.

FLOWER LEFT STRANDED ON 199 AS SOUTH AFRICA ARE SET 78 TO WIN

Andy Flower was left stranded on 199 as South Africa finally finished off the Zimbabwe second innings at 391 on the final day of the first Test match at the Harare Sports Club on Tuesday.

Flower, who made 142 in the first innings and was on 198 at lunch, was dropped off the first ball after the interval when Lance Klusener spilled a sharp chance at slip off Andre Nel.

Flower moved to 199 with a single off the fourth ball of the over, but Doug Hondo's support came to an end off the next delivery when Nel trapped him leg before for 6.

The wicket left South Africa needing 78 to win for a 1-0 lead in the two-Test series.

FLOWER BATS ON AS ZIMBABWE GO INTO THE LEAD

The awesome figure of Andy Flower again dominated play during the final morning at Harare Sports Club. Supported by the tail, he reached 198 not out at lunch, by which time Zimbabwe were 76 runs ahead of South Africa with one wicket still in hand.

Zimbabwe began the final day still ten runs short of forcing South Africa to bat again, and with three wickets in hand, one of which was the priceless wicket of Andy Flower.

It took 25 minutes to wipe out the deficit, when Flower swept Henderson for the first boundary of the day to take Zimbabwe into credit. A similar stroke later in the over took him past 150. Then Travis Friend's gallant vigil came to an end as he played inside a ball from Lance Klusener that didn't turn, to be bowled for 17; 326 for eight.

Flower passed the 156 that he scored in Zimbabwe's first-ever Test victory, over Pakistan in 1994/95, his previous highest score on this ground, and reached 300 in a Test for the first time. He lost Raymond Price for 4, caught off bat and pad from the slow off-cutters of Klusener; 344 for nine. Klusener at this stage of the match was in fact the only bowler to cause Flower any trouble, beating the bat several times and forcing him to play with care.

Shaun Pollock took the second new ball and immediately Flower opened out, driving the first two balls to the boundary. While Douglas Hondo gallantly blocked about two balls an over, Flower lashed at anything loose, reaching 193 with a six over square leg off Jacques Kallis. On 198 he was forced to play out a maiden over from Pollock, which included an lbw appeal that he was perhaps fortunate to survive.