Match report Zimbabwe v Bangladesh 2003/04 1st Test day 2 by John Ward

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Scorecard:

Zimbabwe v Bangladesh

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Lunch: Zimbabwe 288/5 (110 overs; Ervine 83*, Streak 9*). Tea: Zimbabwe 363/7 (142 overs; Streak 44*, Ewing 25*). Close: Zimbabwe 441; Bangladesh 13/1 (Hossain 8*, Baishya 0*).

 

The Zimbabwe players hate references to their being at the basement of Test cricket, but the way they went about disproving that label on the second day of the match at Harare Sports Club was not altogether convincing. They batted laboriously for most of the day to total 441, a total that should be beyond the tourists’ reach, with the main features being an uncharacteristically slow fifty from Heath Streak and a brisk 71 from Gavin Ewing.

 

Remarkably, after more overnight rain, play did start almost on time. Bangladesh opened their bowling with Mushfiqur Rahman, whose job was clearly one of stock bowler, and spinner Mohammad Rafique, with only six overs to go before the second new ball became available. Zimbabwe’s policy was to consolidate, and only nine runs came of seven overs before Tapash Baishya took it.

 

The new-ball bowlers were less accurate and found little swing, which enabled Tatenda Taibu and Sean Ervine to pick up runs more easily – 30 runs came off the first six overs with it - although Ervine in particular looked far from fluent and Taibu overtook him again. Finally Ervine found his touch with three fours in four balls either side off backward point off Baishya, reaching his fifty off 112 balls. Two overs later Taibu pulled the same bowler for four to reach his own fifty, which took him 20 minutes longer but two balls fewer.

 

It was not easy for the Bangladeshi bowlers to adjust all the time, between right-hander and left-hander, and about a foot difference in height between them. They tended to bowl too short to both players, a fatal error on a pitch where driving was difficult and pulls and cuts more profitable. The pair added 125 before Mohammad Rafique came on again and with his first ball, an arm ball, deceived Taibu, who unwisely padded up and was given out lbw for 59. Heath Streak came in and was still there at lunch. It had been a slow morning session, but Zimbabwe were determined to build a very strong scoe base.

 

Three deliveries after lunch, there was the most ridiculous of rain breaks. A very light drizzle began, and the umpires actually offered the fielding side the option of leaving the field, which they took. Nobody needed to shelter, the two teams strolled from the field and the ground staff ambled on with the covers – it was hard to believe.

 

More than half an hour was lost until their fussiness was satisfied. After that, Ervine went into his shell as he approached his century and Streak seemed to stay in his shell in sympathy. The century was not to be Ervine’s this time, as on 86 he played hesitantly at a ball from Baishya outside off stump and edged a low catch to second slip. Zimbabwe were 299 for six.

 

Andy Blignaut came in next, and he has been concentrating too much on technique recently at the expense of doing what he does best – using his devastating array of strokes. He almost came to grief, blocking several balls before slashing at Baishya and slicing the ball just past the same second slip to the boundary. He scored only 7 off 18 balls, to most of which he played solid defensive strokes, and then paid the penalty for abandoning his natural game. Something snapped, he leapt down the pitch to Rafique and was smartly stumped; 306 for seven.

 

Streak showed no desire to dominate even now, and Zimbabwe’s turgid batting was inexplicable. Perhaps the coach sent him a message at the drinks interval, as he showed a little more positive intent, but was fortunate to be missed at slip off Rafique on 28. Gavin Ewing slowly found his confidence and began to hit out, lofting Rafique over midwicket for six, but being dropped off a hard chance to slip in the same over.

 

Streak reached his fifty soon after tea, off 144 balls, the fifth and incredibly the slowest half-century of the innings. Showing a little more enterprise but never his full range of strokes, he moved to 66, and then Bangladesh suffered a bad miss. He tried to pull Mushfiqur Rahman, but skyed the ball towards short midwicket. The fielder started running in but the bowler called for it, never got into position and it bounced out of his hands.

 

Soon afterwards another half-century came up, this one from Ewing, the fastest of the six in 91 balls. None of his predecessors reached a century, and Streak added to their number when on 68 he gave away his wicket, moving right across his stumps to flick Baishya down the leg side and nudging the ball to the keeper. Zimbabwe were 412 for eight.

 

Raymond Price, a converted stonewaller, hit a couple of breezy boundaries before, trying for a third with a heave to leg, skyed a catch to mid-off off Rahman; 433 for nine. Ewing continued to attack with last man Douglas Hondo at the crease, but was the last man out for 71, slashing at Rahman, only for wicketkeeper Khaled Mashud to launch himself full stretch high to his right and pull off a spectacular catch. Zimbabwe totalled 441, but it took them 160.2 overs.

 

Rafique bowled endlessly for 57 overs and four wickets for 121 runs, though he became less threatening as his over tally mounted and he tired. Baishya took three for 133, bowling some very good deliveries but was also the most expensive of the bowlers. Rahman came through at the end to take three for 75.

 

Bangladesh had to go in to bat in fading light, and struggled from the start. Streak gave Hannan Sarkar a hard time with an opening maiden over, and in his second over he brought a ball back off the pitch to trap him lbw for a ‘streaky’ four past gully. He no doubt considered himself unfortunate, as one ball later, with night-watchman Baishya joining the more confident Shahriar Hossain, the umpires offered the batsmen the light.

 

The third day will be crucial for Bangladesh. It will show whether they have the vision and fortitude to save the match, if they are not helped by the uncertain weather.

 

(Article: Copyright © 2004 John Ward)