By John Ward

Zimbabwean hospitality is second to none in the cricketing world. First we provide the Australians and South Africans with the pitches their bowlers have been longing for; then we provide the English with large doses of typical English weather!

Most of the brief England tour was played in overcast and often damp conditions before the final match was abandoned. Still, we must be grateful they were played at all; had the English come a year ago, the rains then were so intense that quite possibly the whole series would have been virtually wiped out, as was much of the England A tour.
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INTERVIEWS

Andy Flower on the triangular tournament in South Africa

Andy Flower talks to John Ward about the recent Zimbabwe trip to South Africa for the triangular tournament also involving England.

The roller-coaster ride of the Zimbabwe cricket team continued on the recent tour to South Africa, with its usual share of disappointments but also with some very creditable achievements. Best of all was the victory over South Africa in the opposition's back yard, in Durban, but even that was only marginally better than the victory over England in Cape Town, when Henry Olonga took six wickets for only 19 runs.

On the other hand, there were some rather pitiful batting collapses which led to unnecessarily embarrassing defeats, and it was quite impossible to predict how the team would play on any particular day. In the end, Zimbabwe missed the final only on run-rate to England, a highly frustrating state of affairs since the 'semi-final' was destroyed by rain. So what does captain Andy Flower make of all that?
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The Player's View: Gary Brent on Zimbabwe v England, Second One-Day International

Despite another feeble batting performance, Zimbabwe fought back with great determination in the second one-day international against England at Queens Sports Club, and were beaten by only one wicket, thanks to a fortuitous edge by Alan Mullally off Gary Brent. Gary had another encouraging match for Zimbabwe, playing a valuable innings, taking vital wickets and being entrusted with bowling at the death. He talks to John Ward about that match.

"I've been in a batting situation where we needed so many runs off so many balls, and that was such an adrenaline thing, but this was the first time I'd been bowling right at the end where we can win and we had one wicket to get. Then I bowled a short ball, wide on the leg side, to Darren Gough, a terrible ball, and it went for four, then I bowled a wide as well. I think nerves got the better of me there, because at the end of my mark my legs were shaking; that's the first time it happened to me, so hopefully I'll learn from that and next time I'll be a bit stronger."
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The Player's View: Stuart Carlisle on the Third One-Day International

Despite his brilliant century against Sri Lanka, Stuart Carlisle has again had his critics, especially when he scored few runs batting well down the order in South Africa. However, once he was restored to his spot near the top of the batting order, he got among the runs again, making the top Zimbabwean score in both the second and the third one-day internationals against England. Here he talks to John Ward about his recent career and about the third one-day international, played at Harare Sports Club on Sunday 19 February.

"Andy Flower called the run - I don't think he was paying me back for last time, because I think I ran him out in South Africa! He just misjudged it, I suppose; he hit it just to the side of Nick Knight, who picked it up and threw direct, and I was out. But these things happen, and that's one of the things we've got to work on again. We keep getting run-outs, so that's another problem with our side."
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Back At The Top: Heath Streak

Heath Streak has returned to his rightful place as the bulwark of Zimbabwe's bowling attack after missing four Tests and five one-day matches due to a recurrence of his knee injury - and how Zimbabwe missed him! Here he talks to John Ward about his return to the Zimbabwean team, and especially about his part in Zimbabwe's historic victory over South Africa at Durban.

"I don't think we do have an off season! It's one of those seasons which just seems to go into the following season, so it'll be interesting to see what actually happens in terms of fixtures. But it's a brilliant season for us: our first trip to the West Indies and we're all looking forward to that, a Test series in England, playing at Lord's and grounds like that. Then the World Series in Australia, which some of us have already experienced, and all the more incentive to stay fit, stay in the side and be part of a winning side."
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