The Australians completed a convincing 244-run victory over the ZCU President's XI at Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo, after tea on the third day. They completely dominated the final day's play until easing off late in the final innings. The day's highlights included some superb bowling by Damien Fleming and an impressive fighting innings of 47 by Greg Lamb for the home team in the face of great adversity.

Steve Waugh's 54th career century, cut short on 99 overnight, was delayed by a maiden over by John Rennie; it was not until the first ball of Rennie's next over that he was able to drive him straight for two to bring up three figures. It took him 109 balls, and one could almost say that he was warmly applauded by both spectators, so thin was the Bulawayo Monday morning 'crowd'. They continued to accumulate, with Mark Waugh twice playing

skilful late cuts for four off Rennie and then driving Brandes magnificently to the extra-cover and then the long-off boundary to bring up the 300-run lead.

When Greg Lamb came on to bowl his slow medium-pace, Steve hit him for four and a massive six over midwicket, and next over even Brandes got the treatment, hit over his head for six and then a one-bounce four over mid-on. Both batsmen were now hitting at everything, with power taking precedence over technique. Steve reached his third fifty off 33 balls, but when on 152 sent up a steepling skyer off Lamb, only for Brandes at midwicket to misjudge it completely, close to the sun, and the chance went down, with the batsman already having walked ten metres back towards the pavilion.

Brandes made up for his lapse shortly afterwards, holding a mishit at extra cover off the bowling of Mbangwa. Steve had made 161 off 146 balls, and the score was 255 for three. Mark was then on 90, and it took him another 25 minutes before he hit Mbangwa wide of mid-on to reach his 72nd first-class century off 155 balls. Still the declaration did not come, as Mark and Ian Healy continued to take their net practice in the middle. Mark eventually fell for 116 to a catch by Mark Vermeulen near the midwicket boundary off the gentle off-spin of Trevor Gripper, making the total 303 for four.

The declaration finally came at 304 for five, half an hour before lunch, when Healy pushed back a straight-forward return catch to Gripper, with his own score on 21. Shane Warne was unbeaten with a single, and the President's XI were left with the impossible target of 421 in a minimum of 76 overs.

The home side lost their first wicket with only 2 runs on the board, Doug Marillier being beaten off the back foot by a ball from Damien Fleming that moved in sharply and trapped him lbw without scoring. At this stage the Australians were employing five slips and a gully to both bowlers. Lunch came after five overs, with the score on 2 for one wicket, Gripper not out with 1 and Vermeulen 0.

After lunch Gripper surprised everybody with a cracking square cut off McGrath to the boundary. Moments later, though, Fleming got another lbw victim with his off-cutter; Vermeulen, still to score, played forward to be hit on the front pad but still fell foul of umpire Ahmed Esat's finger. The President's XI were now 6 for two wickets.

Trevor Madondo announced his presence with a superb boundary through extra cover off Fleming and then slashed McGrath to third man for another, while Gripper drove McGrath straight for four. But the opener was not to repeat his effort of the first innings; perhaps playing outside his limitations, he tried to drive Fleming through the covers but snicked a shoulder-high catch to Mark Waugh at second slip. He had made 10 and the President's XI were now 20 for three. With him went his team's last realistic hope of saving the match. Out playing an attacking stroke, he may well eschew them for life now. Fleming had a superb opening spell of 7-4-7-3.

Madondo it seemed was batting by numbers, trying to hit every third ball for four. After another boundary through the covers, a lifter from McGrath took him by surprise and lobbed off his glove for Mark Waugh to take another catch. Madondo's 12 had all come in fours, and the team was now rushing headlong towards defeat at 24 for four. Stuart Carlisle failed to score, fencing outside off stump to snick a regulation catch to the keeper; 25 for five. The local players appeared too intimidated by the Australians to put up any sort of fight, and Carlisle's international future appears non-existent after his failures in this match. He has the ability and is a dedicated player, but is quite unable to put it together at the moment.

The score was boosted by the advent of Matt Nicholson in place of McGrath, and he generously donated four wides and four byes to the President's XI cause in his first over. Greg Lamb and Bruce Moore-Gordon dug in and fought it out, and suddenly, with the score past 50, Lamb found his confidence, driving Shane Warne straight and then wide of mid-on for fours off successive balls. Finally Warne came round the wicket and immediately bowled Moore-Gordon behind his legs for 5, the wicket unguarded by his pads. Six wickets were now down for 62, which represented a substantial recovery.

Warne continued his attack around the wicket, and Brandes enjoyed hitting a full toss to the midwicket boundary. The next ball, however, turned right across him and took the edge of the bat, giving another catch to Mark Waugh at slip. He had made 6, and the score was 70 for seven. Lamb continued to look for the overpitched ball and off-drove McGrath for a stylish boundary, and then pulled a short faster one from Warne for four to midwicket. Fleming replaced McGrath, and Lamb on-drove him smoothly for another boundary to take his score to 30.

Rennie was content to keep his end up while Lamb, a young man with an exemplary attitude, continued to play positive cricket. He hit Warne for 12 in an over, but missed the fifty he so richly deserved. He tried to pull another short, fast ball from Warne but was slightly late on his stroke; a thick top edge unerringly located Blewett at fine leg. He made 47, and the score was now 105 for eight. Steve Waugh unleashed the fearsome bowling of Michael Slater on the batsmen for the last over before tea; a cover-driven boundary from Rennie took the score at the interval to 109 for eight.

Rennie was the main aggressor after tea, waiting for the right ball to hit, while Ray Price battled to find his feet. Twice in an over Rennie swung Warne across the line for four. Price fell for 3, lbw pushing forward to Langer, and the ninth wicket was down for 135. Whereupon Ponting took over the wicket-keeping gloves and Healy bowled the next over, at a steady medium-pace. Pommie Mbangwa enjoyed himself with three twos in the over. Rennie just cleared mid-off as he drove Langer to the boundary, and then swung him to long leg for four more next ball; he followed with another two, to midwicket and long-on. Healy turned to spin and subdued Mbangwa to the tune of a maiden over.

The Australians continued with their fifth-string bowling attack, and Rennie reached his fifty with a lofted off-drive off Healy. He did not last long afterwards, though, mistiming a drive to extra cover, where Mark Waugh took his fourth catch of the innings. He made exactly 50, while Mbangwa was 16 not out; victory went to the Australians by 244 runs.

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