CT: Rain dampens opening match-up

The opening game of the 2004 ICC Champions Trophy was heavily disrupted by the elements at Edgbaston, with England managing 198-5 in the 38 overs possible against Zimbabwe, Vikram Solanki top-scored with 62 and Ed Rainsford took his first ODI wicket.

The merits of scheduling a cricket tournament in England in the middle of the year are questionable at best, and by the time September comes around, those few merits have degenerated further still. The gloriously long days? Well, they've been shortening for nearly three months now. The increasing number of young English fans, turned back on to cricket by the national side's recent run? Back to school since last week. The often evenly matched pitches? No chance, by the time you've moved the start forwards far enough to avoid dusk, there's still dew on the ground.. and that's not forgetting the mist, cloud and rain.

Edgbaston resembled Old Trafford at its stereotypical worst for much of the morning, shrouded in foggy low cloud obscuring the view over the city centre from the pavilion and as the rain lashed down, there seemed little chance of play on the day. It was a relief and a surprise to many given the way that the day had dawned when the downpour desisted and play was eventually able to get under way at 2pm, nearly four hours late.

The delay clearly hadn't helped Zimbabwean seamer Tinashe Panyangara's nerves, as the 19-year-old gave Tatenda Taibu an unappreciated workout behind the stumps, the captain having passed a fitness test late on - Panyangara sent down seven wides in the first over.

Marcus Trescothick, however, seemed equally determined to show such generosity to the opposition and following two clubbed boundaries through the offside, executed what can only be described as a prod best used for retrieving balls lodged in the angle of the practice nets, fending catching practice to Brendan Taylor in the slips.

Skipper Michael Vaughan, following bludgeoned sixes pulled over square leg from successive deliveries from Doug Hondo, prodded a tentative half-drive at an Ed Rainsford delivery on middle and leg, with Mark Vermeulen to take a sharp catch at second slip for Rainsford's first ODI wicket.

Nonetheless, Vikram Solanki progressed purposefully and Andrew Strauss joined in a similar vein to add fifty for the third wicket before Rainsford struck again, Strauss perishing to an attempted steer to third man, Taibu taking an excellent left-handed catch.

England had no reason to worry, however, as the next man in was Andrew Flintoff - and this man had nothing to fear in Zimbabwe did he? Well, er, as a matter of fact, yes. The newly-crowned ODI Player of the Year had made just six before he attempted to hit Panyangara out of the ground, and only succeeded in going vertical - and then a bit more vertical before the ball came swirling down to Doug Hondo at long off, where the dreadlocked paceman took a fine catch.

Solanki reached his fifty off 61 balls with nine boundaries, but had only added twelve more when he played around a straight ball from the gentle medium pacer Vusi Sibanda, who became the second bowler of the day to take his maiden ODI wicket as Solanki's pad made contact in front of middle stump.

Paul Collingwood and Geraint Jones then consolidated, taking singles off spinners Prosper Utseya and Stuart Matsikenyeri as they added 39 unbroken runs off 53 balls, the game returning to a simmer following the alternate episodes of boiling and freezing on the parts of both teams earlier in the afternoon, until the heat was taken out of the cooking pan in its entirety after 38 overs with England on 198-5. The heavens re-opened, and despite a brief break followed by the temporary candle of promise of a resumption, the showers returned to spell an end to the day's play just before quarter past five.

The teams will return tomorrow to hopefully complete the fixture - Zimbabwe's bowlers will hope to remove the English lower order and tail for below 230, whilst England will be aiming for 275+. Either way, the only thing that ought to stand in England's way from hereon in would be another sustained cloudburst.

England 198-5
VS Solanki 62, PD Collingwood 35*
EC Rainsford 2-43, V Sibanda 1-12

Posted by Neil