Zimbabwe's clear-cut victory
Alistair Campbell Photo © CricInfo |
NatWest Series, The Oval: England (207 all out off 50 overs) lost toZimbabwe (210 for five off 48.2 overs) by five wickets.Zimbabwe, NatWest Series outsiders, pulled off another surprise victory,this time by five wickets over England at The Oval.Marcus Trescothick dominated the stage early in the match with a mostimpressive debut innings of 79, but England declined from 136 for one to 207all out. It was leg-spinner Paul Strang who began the collapse after anabsence from international cricket of almost a year due to injury. Then,after Zimbabwe were reeling at 35 for three, Alistair Campbell (80), the Manof the Match, and Andy Flower (61) shared a crucial partnership of 123 toset up the position for another creditable and clear-cut victory.Trescothick impresses on debutThe left-handed debutant Trescothick played a most impressive inningsof 79 as England ran to 150 for three at a scoring rate of almost five anover against Zimbabwe in their NatWest Series match against Zimbabwe at TheOval. He began in partnership with Stewart, recording the first boundary ofthe innings when he picked up a short ball from Johnson high over midwicket,almost for six. His no-nonsense firm driving, especially on the off side,and more delicate glances radiated confident and positive play right fromthe start. He lost Stewart at 30, trapped palpably lbw by the same bowlerfor 12, trying to drive a very straight ball slightly across the line.England’s fifty came up in the 13th over, but almost immediately therain arrived, quite heavily. The players left the field with England 52 forone (Trescothick 31, Hick 7). To modify the old saying, it was nice weatherfor Duckworth-Lewis, but in the event no overs were lost for thisinterruption.Narrow Run-out EscapePlay recommenced at 12.20, the pitch having got slightly damp before the covers could be applied. Hick greeted Brent, replacing Strang, with a powerful back-foot drive to the cover boundary, while Trescothick hit him high over his head in his next over for six. Trescothick had a narrow escape just after the hundred came up in the 23rd over; backing up too far as Hick played into the covers, he was stranded in mid-pitch, only for the fielder to panic and return the ball far too high. Soon afterwards he turned Brent on the leg side to record a well-earned fifty off 73 balls.Immediately afterwards he had another slice of luck, a run-out appeal going for a quick single being rejected by umpire Shepherd without referral to the third umpire – but the replay appeared to show a dismissal by the narrowest of margins. The century partnership came up off only 108 balls, Hick reached his fifty off 57 balls, and the Zimbabwean fielding, hitherto excellent, began to slide once or twice. But then Hick, still on 50, tried to turn Paul Strang to leg, only to give Grant Flower a catch at extra cover off the leading edge. England were 136 for two.Soon afterwards Trescothick’s fine innings came to an end as he swungPaul Strang high to the deep square leg boundary for Campbell to take thecatch. It was the signal for more rain to arrive, and again the playerswere forced to leave the field.Rain is good change bowlerA combination of the second break for rain and the rejuvenated leg-spin ofPaul Strang turned the England innings on its head when the team had buildsuch a fine foundation to their innings. The middle order, instead oflaunching an assault that could have taken the home side close to 300,collapsed in familiar fashion as Zimbabwe commendably pulled themselvesright back into the game.England lost two wickets in the first two overs after the 30-minutebreak. Paul Strang, tossing the ball up and looking a much better bowlerthan he had in the World Cup last year, struck again, as without addition tothe score of 150 Maynard swung across the line at Paul Strang and was bowledby a fine leg-break for 3. Flintoff (2) quickly followed him, loftingbrother Bryan straight down the throat of mid-off Whittall, and England hadsubsided to 153 for five.Paul Strang continued to tantalise, as Ealham almost hit a return catchand Thorpe skied a hit into vacant territory on the leg side. The two triedto regain the impetus lost by that flurry of wickets, and were justbeginning to look settled when Thorpe (12) checked a drive at Paul andspooned a simple return catch; England 183 for six. Zimbabwe continued torely on spinners after Strang had finished his spell, and Croft (5) holedout to Whittall at deepish extra cover off Viljoen; 191 for seven.Caddick (2) was next to go, swinging over a ball from Grant Flower tobe bowled leg stump; 197 for eight, in the 48th over. Gough got off themark when Brent missed a difficult return catch, and a thick edge from Croftbrought up the 200. Grant Flower, slow left-arm, bowled the last over anddismissed Ealham, swinging a full toss straight to Whittall at deepmidwicket for 32; 206 for nine. Gough (3 not out) took a single beforeMullally emulated Ealham, Whittall’s catch being much more difficult thistime, and England were dismissed for 207.It was a most disappointing score after being so well placed when therain struck for the second time, and the Zimbabweans astutely played on theperceived English weakness against flighted spin. Paul Strang, who beganthe collapse, took three wickets for 36 runs, Grant Flower carved three for9 out of the tail, while the left-arm spin of Viljoen accounted for two morewickets. Zimbabwe brought themselves right back into the match, but theyare still far from secure chasing totals and there could well be a tightfinish – should the weather permit it. The match remains wide open.Zimbabwe resistance flowers in poor lightAfter losing three wickets, one of them controversially, for 35 runs inpursuit of England’s total of 207, Zimbabwe appeared to be as good as buried. Then came a determined fighting partnership between present and past captains, Andy Flower and Alistair Campbell, who fought back against some fine bowling and poor light to keep their team in the match with 20 overs still to be bowled.England struck back with the third ball of the Zimbabwe innings, as without a run on the board their key batsman Johnson drove uppishly at Caddick and Maynard at backward point juggled and then held the vital low catch.Caddick and Gough gave Goodwin and Wishart a torrid time with some superb bowling as they tried to dig in, but the total was only 9 when Wishart (2) stepped across his stumps and was adjudged lbw by umpire Shepherd, to a delivery that the camera showed to be going down leg side. Campbell came in but the light was clearly deteriorating, and the batsmen earned the ire of the crowd by opting to go off with the score on 12 for two (Goodwin 5, Campbell 3). However within two minutes it was raining again.Gough and Caddick off-line
Should try ecb.co.uk/liveAbout ten minutes were lost before play restarted, in light that was not noticeably any better. Gough and Caddick continued their assault, but bowled enough deliveries off-line now to allow the batsmen to keep the score ticking over. Campbell, despite edging his first ball just short of slip, soon began to show glimpses of his true ability, despite the increasing gloom; streetlights and car headlights were beginning to come on.Ealham came on to bowl and with his second ball dismissed Goodwin lbw for 11, playing outside a ball that moved back to him, and Zimbabwe were 35 for three. Andy Flower and Campbell got their heads down and fought back, this time refusing to go off when offered the light and winning the gratitude of the crowd. They ran well between wickets and chose their strokes well in what was clearly an uphill battle. Ealham and Mullally were unable to bowl quite straight enough and many of their runs came from nudges and dabs to fine leg and third man, with Andy playing the reverse sweep to good effect.The fifty partnership came up off 88 balls in the 26th over, but Zimbabwe were still slightly behind on Duckworth-Lewis. In the 3oth over they took the lead for the first time to set up the prospect of a superb finish to this match.Zimbabwe move towards the lightCampbell reached his first one-day fifty for many a long moon when he pulled Mullally powerfully over midwicket for four. The light was improving again and Zimbabwe were now beginning to move ahead – but always in the knowledge that the loss of one more wicket would swing the balance right back towards England. Gough and Caddick returned, but were unable to test these well-set batsmen as they had at the start of the innings.On 40 Flower did offer a difficult chance to extra cover, a powerful drive that Trescothick leapt for but could do no more than parry one-handed. Then came the century partnership, off 151 balls. It finally came to an end when Campbell was beaten through the gate by Croft and trapped lbw for 80, a fine knock and his first fifty in international cricket for more than 50 innings. Zimbabwe were 158 for four and, given the fragile nature of their batting, the match was in the balance again.Creditable and clear-cut victoryAndy Flower was soon to his fifty, off 72 balls, while his brother Grant caused surprise by stepping down the pitch, with only a single to his credit, and lofting Croft for a straight six. The pair placed the ball skilfully and ran well between wickets, an art they developed when opening the batting together several years back, and the English faces became increasingly grim. A lofted on-drive from Grant off Mullally brought up the 200 but, with just two runs needed, Andy drove over a yorker from Mullally to be bowled for 61. Guy Whittall, though, drove his first ball straight for four and Zimbabwe were through to another creditable and clear-cut victory, with ten balls to spare.