Match report Zimbabwe v Australia 2003/04 3rd ODI by John Ward

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Scorecard:

Zimbabwe v Australia

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Australia as expected completed an easy three-nil series victory over the struggling young Zimbabwe team, winning the final match of their truncated tour by eight wickets at Harare Sports Club.

 

On a warm sunny day, Ricky Ponting won his first toss of the series for Australia and put Zimbabwe in to bat. The pitch looked basically a good one for batting, although expected to allow a little seam movement early on. It was alongside the one that had been used for the previous match and so had taken a bit of damage in one or two areas from spikes.

 

Zimbabwe’s intensive match programme had begun to catch up with them, and they were without their two regular new-ball bowlers for this match. Douglas Hondo failed a test after a nasty facial injury in the second match, while Tinashe Panyangara was missing due to a lower back strain. With Dion Ebrahim dropped from the side, Zimbabwe brought in Mluleki Nkala, Elton Chigumbura and Ed Rainsford, the last-named a seam bowler of mixed race making his debut.

 

Australia as usual rotated their squad, omitting Matthew Hayden and Darren Lehmann for Shane Watson, making his first appearance for 16 months after his stress fracture, and Andrew Symonds.

 

Zimbabwe lost their first wicket with just four runs on the board, as Brendan Taylor (1) was beaten by a ball from Jason Gillespie that moved in off the pitch and trapped him lbw; 4 for one.

 

Glenn McGrath, struggling for form, did not take the new ball in this match, as Michael Kasprowicz shared it with Gillespie. The latter was particularly testing, moving the ball sharply and finding lift at times, and Stuart Matsikenyeri was dropped at second slip by Ricky Ponting off his bowling. The opener did not profit from this lapse, as the very next ball he slashed over the slips and straight down the throat of third man. He made 4, and Zimbabwe were 9 for two in the fifth over.

 

Gillespie gave Tatenda Taibu a torrid time, beating the bat time and again, before he finally scuttled a single to reach the other end. However, this exposed Vusi Sibanda (2), who promptly slashed half-heartedly at a lifting ball and edged a catch to the keeper. Zimbabwe were now 10 for three in the seventh over, and in serious trouble.

 

Kasprowicz at the other end was less dangerous, but very accurate, and he had his figures spoilt when Mark Vermeulen edged a ball at catchable height between third slip and gully to the boundary. Gradually, though, the batsmen began to look more secure and got the scoreboard moving. At the same time the Australian fielding began to slide, with a couple of fumbles before McGrath at third man was slow to move to a possible catch as Taibu slashed the ball over the slips, and then had it bounce off his body for four.

 

A promising partnership seemed to be developing when Vermeulen (17) unaccountably tapped a simple return catch back to the bowler, almost taking him by surprise, and Zimbabwe were 42 for four. Worse was to follow, as Gillespie fired in a yorker at Alester Maregwede (1), uprooting his leg stump; 50 for five in the 15th over.

 

Taibu had by now fought his way out of his shaky period and was batting with superb judgement, wasting no chance to score off the rare loose ball and keeping the score moving steadily. Ponting allowed both his new-ball bowlers to complete their quotas, Gillespie finishing with five for 32 off his 10 overs. Kasprowicz, who played an invaluable supporting role, finally got his reward with his very last ball, moving it in to beat Taibu’s bat and trapping him lbw for 27. After 20 overs, Zimbabwe were 61 for six and appeared as good as finished.

 

McGrath opened with a wide, but then found a tighter line and length, while Shane Watson, in his first match for Australia since his stress fracture 16 months ago, was unlucky not to pick up the wicket of Mluleki Nkala, who mistimed a pull to send a gentle skyer towards square leg, which none of three converging figures, including the bowler, could reach in time – an escape Nkala was to repeat several overs later.

 

But now Nkala and Elton Chigumbura began to rise to the occasion. Chigumbura had had a very nervous start, where he seemed unable to locate the centre of the bat, but he hung in and every now and then unleashed a handsome drive. A stylish boundary through extra cover took Zimbabwe past 100, and now no bowler seemed to worry either batsman. They both went on to record their highest one-day scores, the talented Under-19 player Chigumbura reaching his maiden fifty off 63 balls.

 

Nkala just failed to reach his fifty, being beaten and bowled by a faster ball from Hogg for 47. The pair had added a gallant 114 for the seventh wicket, and Zimbabwe were now 175 for seven. Tawanda Mupariwa (4) briefly supported Chigumbura, but was then run out in a typical mix-up, making the total 194 for eight in the 49th over.

 

The innings then came to a quick conclusion. With time running out, Chigumbura (77) swung across the line at Hogg and was bowled, while Waddington Mwayenga (1) was trapped lbw. Zimbabwe were all out for 196 with seven balls to spare.

 

Gillespie with five for 32 was the outstanding bowler, while Hogg took three for 37. Probably there have never been fewer bowling changes in a one-day international innings of this length: Gillespie and Kasprowicz bowled out their overs, McGrath and Watson took over, and finally Hogg and Symonds conc luded the innings.

 

When Australia replied, Adam Gilchrist and Michael Clarke, the stand-in opener, took two overs to assess the bowling of Mluleki Nkala and Waddington Mwayenga before deciding they liked it and showing their appreciation with a flurry of boundaries. Clarke began with two handsome boundaries through extra cover, and after conceding 39 runs in the first six overs the opening bowlers gave way to Mupariwa and the debutant Ed Rainsford.

 

Gilchrist decided he liked Mupariwa still better, and drove him for three successive boundaries before he dragged the fourth ball on to his middle stump from outside off. He made 44, with seven fours and a six, off 27 balls, and Australia were 68 for one in the ninth over.

 

As usual when the great man departs, a degree of anticlimax followed, with Clarke and Andrew Symonds scoring briskly but not spectacularly. Symonds can at times rival Gilchrist, but not on this day, as he had scored 20 off 22 balls when he drove Mupariwa uppishly to be caught at mid-on; 115 for two in the 18th over.

 

Clarke was determined to make good use of his opportunity at the top of the order, and he batted impressively to reach his fifty off 68 balls, playing some memorable strokes especially on the off side. He went into the eighties with a slash off Chigumbura that almost carried for six over point, but it was a race to reach his century before Australia won the match.

 

A six and two fours in succession off Chigumbura took him to 99, and next ball came a single to reach three figures – 15 off four balls and with five runs in hand before Australia completed victory in the next over. Shane Watson with 17 not out was the sleeping partner in the winning partnership of 84.

 

Zimbabwe cricket faced an uncertain future, but the most positive aspect of this match was the breakthrough achieved by Chigumbura with the bat. He and the other Under-19 players, Taylor and Panyangara, should form a major part of whatever the future does hold.

 

(Article: Copyright © 2004 John Ward)