Zimbabwe A recovered from their embarrassing performance on Wednesday to beat South Africa A by five wickets in the second of the three-match series

John Ward25-Jan-2003Zimbabwe A recovered from their embarrassing performance on Wednesday to beat South Africa A by five wickets in the second of the three-match series. The man who did most to make it possible was Grant Flower, who added a fine century to his economical three wickets with the ball, while Tatenda Taibu almost matched him stroke for stroke as the two more than doubled the score in their match-winning partnership.Perhaps influenced by heavy overnight rain, Heath Streak decided to put South Africa A in to bat when winning the toss on a hot, humid morning at Harare Sports Club. The venue had been changed at short notice from Alexandra Sports Club. In contrast to Wednesday’s match, this was well attended by local standards, with perhaps about 1000 present in the afternoon.Graeme Smith and Jacques Rudolph put together another convincing opening partnership, and how happy Zimbabwe would be were they available to change teams in the World Cup. They appeared to target Henry Olonga from the start, hitting him for 21 in his three-over spell with the new ball. Six an over was their regular scoring rate as they put on 88 together until Rudolph (30) pulled a ball from Guy Whittall, the most impressive of Zimbabwe’s bowlers, straight to Dion Ebrahim at midwicket.Shortly afterwards Smith (63) drove uppishly to be caught, off the same bowler, by Grant Flower at short extra cover. Neil McKenzie and Ashwell Prince set about building a good stand with skilful pushes and nudges at first. Their running together was not faultless, and Zimbabwe missed a couple of rather difficult run-out opportunities. They added 89 together before McKenzie (53) drove Grant Flower powerfully but straight at Streak at mid-off, in the 40th over.This was to inaugurate a steady collapse of the middle order. Justin Ontong (3) did not lost long, bowled behind his legs unwisely trying to sweep Flower without covering his stumps. Flower took his third wicket in quick succession when Albie Morkel (2) hit him down the throat of long-on. This was his last over, and he finished with the admirable figures of three for 37.With Murphy replacing him, Jon Kent (4) was stumped and then Steve Elworthy (3) skyed a ball for Craig Wishart to take running in from the cover boundary. Alan Dawson (1) was run out by Murphy, hesitating over a second run for Prince to deep square leg and being too late getting back. Thami Tsolekile (1) scooped Douglas Hondo over his shoulder, but straight to short fine leg, and finally Prince, who had stood firm without being able to dominate, was adjudged lbw sweeping at Murphy international the final over for 71. South Africa A had slumped from 194 for two to 240 all out.Zimbabwe A, outwardly confident of victory, almost lost Wishart to the first ball of their innings, as he mistimed a pull off Elworthy and the ball just evaded mid-on. He continued to bat with belligerence, and greeted Dawson’s first ball with another pull, better timed, that went for four.Mark Vermeulen was also keen to join the party, but when he had 13 he aimed an extravagant drive at Elworthy and was caught shoulder-high by Kent at slip. Wishart (25) soon followed, edging Andre Nel straight to the now bearded McKenzie in the gully.Flower and Ebrahim now had to rebuild. With slowly increasing fluency and confidence they added 66 together, but once again the Zimbabweans seemed unable to build a real match-winning partnership. Ebrahim, trying to pull Nel, skyed a catch to depart for 33, and then Whittall, so rarely on form with both bat and ball in the same match, chipped an easy catch to mid-on with just a single to his name. Doug Marillier faced his first ball, only for Morkel to produce a superb yorker that knocked his stumps out of the ground. At 114 for five, it appeared that Zimbabwe A were being inspired by England’s performance against Australia earlier in the day.There was a huge appeal for caught at the wicket against Tatenda Taibu for the hat-trick ball, but umpire Dennis Maposa, in his first international match, correctly adjudged that the batsman had hit the ground and not the ball. Taibu was not to be removed so easily, and with Flower still there the batsmen were in business again.The fifty partnership came up, although the required run rate was now more than six an over, but at least the match was alive again. The South Africans certainly thought so, judging by the frenzied behaviour of some of them on the field. Finally they batted with real authority, hammering deliveries only slightly loose through the field, and the South African attitude now appeared to be one of resignation.When 12 came off the 45th over, bowled by Elworthy and mostly from Flower, who moved into the nineties, the match appeared to be sealed, although Nel still had time to tower over Taibu in a bullying manner and deliver a few ill-chosen words. Flower was now gliding the ball effortlessly into the gaps and superb running between wickets proved too skilful for even such a fine fielding unit.Flower reached his century in the 49th over, hitting Dawson high over midwicket, almost a six; next ball, a similar shot just cleared the rope and ended the match. He finished on 107, scored off only 99 balls, Taibu on 56, and Zimbabwe A had won a memorable victory.