Close - Zimbabwe 154 for 2 (Masakadza 2*, Carlisle 0*)
The old cliché worked again. Four overs after South Africa broke Zimbabwe's century opening stand by dimissing Alistair Campbell (152 for 1), it was bye-bye Dion Ebrahim too.

He edged Claude Henderson to Shaun Pollock at slip for 71, equalling his highest score in Tests – made in the first innings of the previous match against South Africa at Harare.

Between Campbell and Ebrahim's dismissals, Masakadza was dropped by Neil McKenzie at silly point before he had scored.

A flurry of action to finish the day with, and maybe even enough to wake any of the crowd who had bothered to stay until the end. At a run rate of 1.79, don't expect the stands to be full tomorrow.

81 overs - Zimbabwe 152 for 1 (Ebrahim 71*, Masakadza 0*)
Just five runs short of the highest opening partnership ever by Zimbabwe, Alistair Campbell lost concentration. He spooned an offcutter from Lance Klusener to backward point where Herschelle Gibbs was ready with open palms. He had made 77, and together with Dion Ebrahim, had put on a very slow, but pretty sure, 152. Ebrahim was left on 71 not out, which equalled his highest Test score, made against South Africa in the previous game.

Tea - Zimbabwe 126 for 0 (Campbell 67*, Ebrahim 55*)
Zimbabwe's batsmen have obviously decided that the best way to attack South Africa is to bore them into submission. On a long, cold afternoon at Bulawayo, Alistair Campbell and Dion Ebrahim managed the grand total of 56 runs, at the headrush scoring rate of 1.88.

But if progress was slow, it was also a great improvement on anything Zimbabwean openers have managed in the past against South Africa – the record for the first wicket before today was 13. In fact Campbell and Ebrahim only have to get 31 more before they have made the record first-wicket stand for Zimbabwe against anyone. Ebrahim moved to his third fifty in an eight-Test career when he pushed Claude Henderson through the covers for two. And the South Africans began to show their frustrations – with a juicy curse or two in the direction of the batsmen.

Four successive maidens just before tea didn't help matters and sent the crowd gasping to the tent for a cuppa to relieve the tedium. Drinks - Zimbabwe 104 for 0 (Campbell 60*, Ebrahim 41*)
The mettle showed by Andy Flower at Harare continued to inspire Zimbabwe's batsmen at Bulawayo.

Alistair Campbell and Dion Ebrahim carried on where they had left off at lunch – but now they were milking Claude Henderson for four runs an over.

Campbell cut Henderson backward of square to reach his fifty and, shortly afterwards, Ebrahim clipped Henderson to deep-midwicket to bring up the hundred. A first-wicket partnership of 100, against South Africa? Heath Streak must be congratulating himself on his prescient decision to bat.

Lunch - Zimbabwe 70 for 0 (Campbell 40*,Ebrahim 28*)
On a freezing cold morning at Bulawayo Zimbabwe made a slow, but by their standards remarkably steady, start to the day. Heath Streak had won the toss, and he sent in his batsmen more in hope than expectation. The previous record first-wicket stand by Zimbabwe against South Africa was 13.

But on a slow, slow pitch, the ball hardly beat the bat. Alistair Campbell and Dion Ebrahim easily resisted the combined forces of the canny quartet of Pollock, Nel, Ntini and Klusener, and shot past the previous record.

Pollock was forced to bring on left-arm spinner Claude Henderson in the 20th over, and it was he who got the most out of the pitch. His first over was a maiden and every now and then he extracted some remarkable turn.

There were eight fours in the morning session, the best of all a lovely cover-drive by Campbell off Ntini. Zimbabwe will lunch well today.

Match preview
Heath Streak won the toss and elected to bat on the opening day of the second Test in Bulawayo.

With the pitch expected to favour the slow bowlers, Zimbabwe recalled leg-spinner Paul Strang as a replacement for the seamer Doug Hondo who was far from impressive in the defeat in Harare.

The only other change was that Craig Wishart was dropped in favour of Stuart Carlisle.

The South Africans decided against making any changes to the side which won at Harare.

The weather could be a major factor on the opening day. Low, gray clouds blanketed the sky and a cold wind blew. But the pitch should favour the batsmen.

Zimbabwe 1 Dion Ebrahim, 2 Alistair Campbell, 3 Hamilton Masakadza, 4 Stuart Carlisle, 5 Andy Flower (wk) , 6 Grant Flower, 7 Guy Whittall, 8 Heath Streak (capt), 9 Paul Strang, 10 Travis Friend, 11 Raymond Price.

South Africa 1 Gary Kirsten, 2 Herschelle Gibbs, 3 Jacques Kallis, 4 Neil McKenzie, 5 Boeta Dippenaar, 6 Mark Boucher (wk), 7 Lance Klusener, 8 Shaun Pollock (capt) , 9 Claude Henderson, 10 Makhaya Ntini, 11 Andre Nel.

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