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ENGLAND SLIP’N SLIDE IN RAIN! ENGLAND v ZIMBABWE 18, 19, 20, 22 May 2000 Day One First Test Umpires D. Orchard, P. Willey, and J. Holder. 18 May 2000 Day One First Test Andy Flower’s Zimbabwe, whose last cricketing port-of-call was the sunshine paradise of the Caribbean must have recoiled at the sight of the grey and forbidding London skyline as he, and Nasser Hussain dodged the rain showers to complete the toss for the First Test. He lost the call, and was asked to bat. The wicket, however, looked perfect and so did the outfield. Nevertheless, with rain on the horizon, batting and bowling looked tricky. CHANCES Grant Flower and his partner Trevor Gripper took guard against Gough and Caddick. They received a torrid welcome, as early as the third over both survived return catches to the luckless Gough within two balls of one another; before having to depart beneath a rain shower. Twenty minutes later and into just the third over after the restart, Giddins spilled a very difficult chance from a miscued thick edge from the uneasy Gripper off Caddick. Third time he was not so lucky, and Stewart finally pouched him for a duck on the stroke of noon. Murray Goodwin joined Flower and the two saw it out to lunch without too much trouble. 1st Day Lunch: Zimbabwe 52-1 wkt. Flower G. A. 33*, Goodwin 15* The sun by this time was trying to make an appearance through the grey canopy. With its sudden appearance went the fourth chance of the innings, when Andy Caddick put down a simple chance off Chris Schofield in the deep off the first ball after lunch, for Flower to survive again. The two added 63 for the second wicket before at last England managed to hold a catch in the outfield when Nick Knight at third slip bagged Goodwin for 32 off Ed Giddins. FIFTY A somewhat fortunate Flower finally reached his 50 (123 balls, 3 x 4s) half way through the afternoon. He and his partner nearly saw it through to Tea. Only for Darren Gough to find the edge of former captain Alistair Campbell’s bat with the very last ball of the session, and the impeccable Stewart made no mistake. 1st Day Tea: Zimbabwe 129-3 wkts. Flower G. A. 70*, Campbell 19. ROTATION The cloud cover remained as Andy and Grant Flower continued the battle against their hosts and the weather, but only for eighteen or so, minutes, before yet another downpour halted proceedings for the best part of an hour. On the resumption Gough soon tempted the opposing captain, and he was caught flailing outside his off-stump for 10. Neil Johnson the highly rated all-rounder joined the fray with the score standing at 152-4 wkts. Play lasted a mere 49 minutes before the umpires called the teams off, this time for bad light. Hussain’s policy of rotation -- using bowlers in short spells seemed to unnerve the Zimbabwe batsmen and paid dividends with another catch going to the ‘keeper when Caddick got one to leave Johnson (24), 195-5wkts. Guy Whittall was quickly off the mark; having had the dubious honour of facing up to the new ball in the last over of the day. Somewhat relieved he jettisoned Schofield’s offending first delivery to the cover boundary for three, allowing Grant Flower to see off the remaining five balls and conclude the play for the day. 1st Day Stumps: Zimbabwe 201-5wkts. Flower G.A. 96*, Whittall 6*. (84 overs) ENGLAND IN CHARGE! 19 May 2000 Day Two First Test NINETY NINE AND OUT! The skies remained very overcast for the start of day two; Gough and Caddick remained as menacing as ever. The batsmen remained just as defensive. Until, in the sixth over of the day Flower on 99, finally picked out the wrong fielder in Ramprakash who took a straight forward catch at square leg off the bowling of Gough. His innings had lasted for 266 balls, with 6 x 4s. 209-6 wkts. Hopes were high that under these conditions that the remaining four wickets could be wrapped up cheaply in what remained of the morning session. This was not to be the case, for at lunch Bryan Strang and Pommie Mbangwa were still there. 2nd Day Lunch: Zimbabwe 244-9 wkts. Strang 20*, Mbangwa 0* The Zimbabwe rearguard action was scuppered by Ed Giddins who gave Stewart his fourth catch with an inside edge off the blade of Pommie Mbangwa. Zimbabwe 255 all out. SKETCHY The miserable weather was handing out no favours to the home country, for after eighteen minutes of the start of the England first innings bad light called the umpires to bring about another halt. The experience seemed to enliven Atherton and have the opposite effect on his Middlesex teammate, who after hitting a three on the resumption was caught and bowled by Whittall for 4. The remaining ten overs saw the new and old England captains score a meagre eleven runs, with Andy Flower missing a difficult chance off Heath Streak to dislodge the Essex man. True, the outfield was slow, but neither batsman was putting enough willow through leather to trouble the fielders out there during this hour of play. 2nd Day Tea: England 28-1 wkt. Atherton 11*, Hussain 10*. BRIGHTEST Hussain, in fact, had made his full contribution to the first innings runs column and was caught Campbell, bowled Johnson soon after Tea. The man who was destined to be the brightest batting star in this grey firmament now strode out to the centre in the form of Graeme Hick. The Worcestershire and Zimbabwe born batsman proceeded with Mike Atherton to steer England into respectability. Throughout an afternoon dogged by stoppages the two combined to score 76 runs as England picked up the pace before Atherton was trapped lbw by Whittall. Alec Stewart joined Hick at the crease for the last three-quarters of an hour. He survived a Mbangwa dropped chance off a pull from Guy Whittall before he had scored. 2nd Day Stumps: England 142-3 wkts. Hick 49*, Stewart 12* WICKETS CRASH IN LORD’S HORROR SHOW! 20 May 2000 Day Three First Test FLOURISH The weather was still cloudy, but the sun was fighting to break through. The outfield was holding up well and the opportunity was there for England to go on. The Surrey stalwart opened in typical Stewartesque fashion with a nine run flourish off Streak’s first over, allowing the last ball of the over to complete his 50. Messrs. Andy Flower and Neil Johnson removed him from the fray after he top-edged a pull for 31 from only 58 balls quickly resolved the flamboyant Stewart’s innings, (171-4 wkts), Hick 58*. TORRID! Mbangwa and Johnson now put the bottom order of the English batting to the sword. Six wickets tumbling for the addition of a mere 31 runs, with Hick resolutely trying to hold the whole thing together. The morning session was proving to be the most fruitful of the match for the Zimbabwe attack. During this period Andy Flower put to ground Gough, a hard chance off the bowling of Strang; who rectified the situation himself bowling the Yorkshire paceman three balls later into his innings without further score. 3rd Day Lunch: England 218-9 wkts. Hick 91*, Giddins 4*. CENTURION This shambolic performance had left the home team still some 27 runs adrift of the 255 Zimbabwe score; with Hick within touching distance of a maiden series century partnered by the number eleven, Giddins. However, Hick need not have had any concern Giddins contributed more than his fair share in their last wicket partnership. However, he endured a heart-stopping shout from Streak for lbw, when Hick was 97. Hick’s cover drive off the same bowler brought him his much deserved chanceless century off 196 balls with 9 x 4s, nine balls later. Johnson finally had Giddins caught close-in by Goodwin for 11, his fifth wicket of the game. Johnson’s figures of 21.1-10-32-5 made impressive a reading just as much as Hick’s unbeaten century. A poor end to the English reply. At 235 they were still 20 runs light of the Zimbabwe total, when so much more had seemed possible and likely. ONSLAUGHT Just before 2:30pm Zimbabwe commenced their second innings. Both openers quickly get off the mark with the only slight scare a Caddick shout for leg-before which was turned down with only three runs on the board. Gripper who was again finding it hard going, was sent back to the pavilion by Darren Gough who got one to lift, find the edge and the welcoming gloves of Stewart (27-1 wkt). Gough sent back Goodwin two balls later (caught Flintoff), and then with the last ball of the over saw Campbell edge to the safe hands of Hick for another duck! Three wickets in the over left Zimbabwe rocking on 27-4 wkts, and England well in command. 3rd Day Tea: Zimbabwe 36-4 wkts. Flower G. A. 15*, Flower A. 2*. MORE DROPPED CHANCES The weather far from pleasant was at least settled and both the strip and the outfield was bearing up well to the traffic. Whilst Flower Power rule held with a stand of 29 in as many minutes for the fourth wicket helped to steady a very unsafe vessel. The score moved on to 56 before the imperious Gough emphatically bowled the Zimbabwe skipper. Neil Johnson, the bowling hero, and another left-hander now joined Grant Flower. England’s fielding woes did not relent and Caddick dropped a straightforward catch at deep cover off Gough to give Johnson another life when on 11. Giddins spilled another easy chance off the same batsman, this time it was Caddick himself, who was the bowler. Somehow the Zimbabwe pair reached the 50 partnership (Flower 35* and Johnson 29*), at which debutant leg-spinner Chris Schofield teased Johnson into a false shot that saw him edge a simple catch to Stewart (106-4 wkts). Whittall came and went after scoring a streaky two off the spinners first ball; he then gently put the next ball into Nick Knight’s hands at third slip. Half the side back in the pavilion with barely a hundred on the board -- the omens were not good for Zimbabwe. Nevertheless, Flower was still there in the van. He protected Streak well in the final countdown to Stumps and on the way, he achieved his second 50 of the match. 3rd Day Stumps: Zimbabwe 129-6 wkts. Flower G. A. 53*, Streak 3*. ENGLAND WRAPS UP FIRST TEST WITH A DAY TO SPARE! 22 May 2000 Day Four First Test DROPPED CHANCES Another cloudy day welcomed the teams. The job in hand for the English attack was to remove the remaining four wickets as quickly as possible. This was achieved without much fuss. The pitch beginning to show signs of wear and the bowlers getting the ball to lift, there appeared little chance of a Zimbabwe fight back. Streak was the first looping a Gough short lifter to Atherton at slip with the time showing a little after 11:18am (140-7 wkts).Gough’s figures to this point, 18.1-8-34-5. Hussain dropped Bryan Strang before Gough and Hick joined forces to save the captain’s blushes by taking matters into their own hands and seeing off the eighth wicket for a duck. Stewart got immersed in the same fielding abyss -- letting a hard chance from Flower get by him. However, Gough was not to be denied and his seventh wicket was the man all England wanted removed, Grant Flower, who paddled a sharp delivery into the waiting hands of Andy Flintoff when on 73. Gough returned match figures of 11-106 in a bowling display that had ‘man-of-the match’ written all over it. Yet it was not quite all over yet, Mbangwa and Brian Murphy held sway until the wiles of Schofield had the last man edging to Atherton at first slip. Zimbabwe innings closed at 172, leaving England the modest total of 193 to win. Atherton and Ramprakash saw what was left of the morning session out without difficulty. 4th Day Lunch: England 14-0 wkts. Atherton 8*, Ramprakash 1*. For the first time in four days the sun had seemingly won the battle in the skies over London, and looked to be smiling on an England who now had victory firmly in their grasp. NOT WORKED Nevertheless, a squall of a shower appeared from nowhere to halt play abruptly for 30 minutes midway through the afternoon. England resumed and the two took the first wicket to 52 without loss, Atherton 34 and Ramprakash 10. Three runs added to his score and Atherton was out to Strang, 60-1 wkt. The very next ball and Johnson removed the ill at ease Ramprakash caught Campbell. The experiment of opening with the Middlesex man had not worked well here, with Ramps never looking on top of his game during the match. The rain yet again broke through and an early Tea was called. 4th Day Lunch: England 62-2 wkts. Hussain 0*, Hick 1*. BARRAGE Hick survived a desperate lbw shout by Johnson which was quickly dismissed by Dave Orchard. Nasser Hussain (15) succumbed to medium-pacer Whittall with good catch held by Heath Streak at mid-off (92-3 wkts). Hick and Stewart now proceeded to win the game for England by adding 69 runs in only forty minutes. They took the score to 161 before Stewart was adjudged an adjacent lbw to Whittall. He had given only a sniff of a chance to Andy Flower during this barrage. The Surrey man’s runs came off only 48 balls. Nick Knight (17*) and the magnificent Hick then proceeded at a more sedate pace which ended with an unbeaten 52 not out (106 balls, 4x4s) with the match winning 4 coming off Brian Murphy’s last ball at 6:18pm. Man of The Match: Darren Gough. Epilogue England brushed aside Zimbabwe and duly ran out deserved winners of this First Test of this two match series. However, many aspects of their display do not bear close scrutiny. The number of dropped catches and some poor batting, especially in the first innings. On the plus side Hick and Gough produced memorable displays, whilst Grant Flower with the bat and Neil Johnson with the ball returned notable figures during the match. The Trent Bridge Test promises to be an interesting renewal on 1st June. © llamados 2000 |
Revised:
Saturday, 16 March 2013. |
