1st ODI: Zimbabwe v South Africa at Bulawayo, 23 Sep 2001 CricInfo Live Report

1st ODI: Zimbabwe v South Africa at Bulawayo, 23 Sep 2001
John Ward

Pre-game: Toss,
South Africa innings: Innings,
Zimbabwe innings: Mid-afternoon,

ZIMBABWE TRY TO MAKE A FIST OF IMPOSSIBLE TASK IN BULAWAYO

Zimbabwe could only aim for respectability in the face of South Africa's formidable total of 363 for three, but by midafternoon of the first One-Day International in Bulawayo, they were making a reasonable fist of it, reaching 102 for three after 25 overs (Alistair Campbell 50, Craig Wishart 2).

Zimbabwe quickly lost Dion Ebrahim (0), dabbing a catch to slip off Andre Nel. Hamilton Masakadza (11), on his debut, played safely for a while with Alistair Campbell, although scoring at nowhere near the required rate, until Campbell refused a call for a risky single to mid-off and MasaKadza was run out; Zimbabwe were 43 for two on the 14th over.

Andy Flower came in at number four and as usual started collecting runs apparently with time to spare, at better than a run a ball. The incredulous South Africans in the press box nominated a six off Makhaya Ntini high over wide long-off as the shot of the day, even ahead of Gibbs' six over backward point. With 34 off 32 balls, though, he risked a single too close to Rhodes on the off side and was thrown out by several yards at the bowler's end; Zimbabwe 97 for three in the 24th over.

RAMPANT SOUTH AFRICANS AMASS 363/3 IN BULAWAYO ODI

It was the slaughter of the lambs at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo on Sunday as the South African batting took apart a helpless Zimbabwe bowling line-up to run up the massive total of 363 for just three wickets.

It was an adequate reflection of excellent batting and an incompetent Zimbabwean performance at the bowling crease - 15 wides and 7 no-balls also tell their story - and the match as a contest was over very early on.

South Africa won the toss and decided to bat on a hot sunny day. A large crowd was present from the start, while the pitch, although flat, had little grass and could crumble a little later in the day.

After the Test series, Zimbabwe replaced Stuart Carlisle and Raymond Price with Craig Wishart and Mluleki Nkala, and bat down to number eleven; all the team have first-class centuries to their credit except, paradoxically, opener Dion Ebrahim.

South Africa made just one change, with one-day specialist Jonty Rhodes replacing Boeta Dippenaar.

Once again Zimbabwe were let down by undisciplined bowling, especially by Travis Friend, who conceded 47 runs in his opening spell of four overs.

Gary Kirsten began the slaughter with cuts for four off Friend's first two deliveries, then Gibbs took him apart, including a remarkable front-foot six over backward point.

Once more Zimbabwe's selectors seemed to have made their choices with little appreciation of the virtues for accuracy. Heath Streak also failed to threaten the batsmen or keep the score down, and the hundred came up in only the 10th over.

Gibbs reached his fifty off 30 balls, and it took leg-spinner Paul Strang to exercise some sort of control. Replays showed he might have been unlucky not to win an lbw appeal against Kirsten when the latter was on 47, just before he ran to his fifty off 41 balls, but the umpire had no hesitation later when Kirsten had 66 and was struck in front of the stumps attempting a sweep. South Africa were 153 for one in the 19th over.

The slower bowlers, helped by additional boundary fielders, made South Africa work harder for their runs, but Gibbs' century still came off 84 balls, South Africa's fastest in one-day cricket.

Streak returned for the 36th over and claimed Gibbs lbw for 125, rather controversially as he was well forward and was perhaps hit outside the line of off stump; 244 for two.

The coming of Rhodes as usual led to superb running between wickets with Jacques Kallis, and at one stage he reverse-swept Grant Flower for six. The score was by now past 300; 313 was the previous highest total against Zimbabwe and 328 the highest by South Africa in one-day internationals.

Kallis on 83 was caught by Andy Flower driving at Friend to be dismissed for the first time on tour.

Rhodes reached fifty off 37 balls, and South Africa finished with the incredible total of 363 for three wickets (Rhodes 54, Lance Klusener 10).

SOUTH AFRICA ELECT TO BAT IN FIRST ODI AGAINST ZIMBABWE

South Africa won the toss and decided to bat in the One-Day International against Zimbabwe at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo on Sunday, the first of a series of three. It was a hot sunny day and a large crowd was present from the start, while the pitch, although flat, had little grass and could crumble a little later in the day.

The teams were as follows:

Zimbabwe: Alistair Campbell, Dion Ebrahim, Hamilton Masakadza, Craig Wishart, +Andy Flower, Grant Flower, Guy Whittall, *Heath Streak, Mluleki Nkala, Paul Strang, Travis Friend.

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