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Zimbabwe v West Indies

Thursday, November 27 2003

Fresh off the back of a relatively easy victory in Bulawayo against West Indies, Heath Streak and his team went into the game today in a state of heightened confidence. The hosts stayed unchanged with the tourist welcoming back Dillon and Jacobs replacing Rampaul and Baugh respectively.

Brian Lara, West Indian captain, continued his good form with the coin as he won the toss for the third time in a row. However his choice of putting Zimbabwe into bat seemed slightly offbeat as the pitch seemed to be crumbling with several raw cracks in the surface.

Vasbert Drakes started the proceedings bowling to Visimuzi Sibanda and the game was underway. Sibanda and his opening partner Trevor Gripper started steadily with 22 well-constructed runs in the first 9 overs until Mervyn Dillon had what was to be his only success when Sibanda flashed at a wider delivery which Ricardo Powell gratefully pouched at backward point. The score at 22 for the loss of the opener and the in form Mark Vermeulen strode out to the crease, his innings set off at a rate of knots though not without a few teething problems as a couple of lucky edges failed to find hands and went to the boundary rope.

For the next 5 overs, the scorers were kept busy as a partnership looked like forming but it wasn’t to be as Gripper was caught and bowled by Wavell Hinds who was to return figures of 2/43 from his allotted 10 overs. Craig Wishart, who looked so good in the first ODI in the series, was unfortunately outdone by his good footwork as he flicked the ball square of the wicket on the legside only to find one of his bails rolling on the floor due to contact by his back foot. A disappointing end to Wishart (7) which left Zimbabwe on 69/3 from 18.3 overs and one specialist batsman left to come.

Unfortunately, Matsikenyeri fell almost straight away as he fell across his stumps and caught plumb in front of the sticks for 8. 85/4 and the situation looked decidedly dodgy for the hosts as their captain coming in off the back of a better than a run-a-ball 38 in the 2nd ODI, and once again he was the answer. Alongside Vermeulen and later Tatenda Taibu, whom he had 54 and 90* partnerships with respectively, Zimbabwe posted 229/5. Vermeulen fell to Powell for a quick-fire 66 (70 balls) and Taibu played another cameo unbeaten innings at the end of the session with 37 runs coming from just 36 deliveries.

This left a target of 230 which Zimbabwe would have taken when they were 85/4 but Streak may have felt that a little low as he was satisfied with singles and two’s until right at the end, his score of 65 (91) with a strike rate of 71 may have left him ruing the missed opportunity of 250 in the bank.

At the resumption of play, Wavell Hinds set out as a man on a mission despatching a missile over long-on for a huge six off the bowling of Streak in the 3rd over. He wasn’t able to capitalise though as he was defeated by the off-cutter from Andy Blignaut and lapped up by Tatenda Taibu for 13 as the 1st wicket fell at 5.5 overs and the score at 24/1. Sarwan, with his bat wandering outside off stump, fell to a combination of Streak and Taibu. In doing so, notching up his 2nd egg of the series and leaving the West Indies wobbling on 25/2.

Whenever West Indies are in trouble there is always one man who can be relied on to calm the nerves of the Caribbean with his wristy strokeplay and sound technique, Brian Lara is that man. Pairing up with Chris Gayle, Lara got stuck into the second string bowlers scoring with some sublime drives and pulls racing to the boundary rope. When Streak find himself in times of trouble, he invariably turns to who he can trust to know what to do. Himself. On this occasion, all it took was 3 balls as a ripping yorker on leg stump defeated the Trinidad and Tobagan left-hander, Lara scored 34 from 45 balls and West Indies needed 135 runs from 28.3 overs with 7 wickets in hand.

Ray Price was doing the job of containing at one end and it was he who sent Chanderpaul on the lonely walk back to the pavilion for just 19 with a top edged sweep down to fine leg and West Indies were looking on the brink of a collapse.

Marlon Samuels flicked Blignaut into the mid-wicket stand for a maximum during his rampaging 25 from 19 deliveries, a rush of blood to the head was the first double blow to the West Indies as Samuels fell for the trap set at deep square leg and he deposited a hook shot directly to Ervine, the second hammer blow came just the next ball with Ricardo Powell having his stumps splattered by another superb yorker on the off peg. From 164/4 with Gayle and Samuels at the crease to 164/6 with Gayle and Jacobs being the last two ‘recognised’ batsmen.

Andy Blignaut had his tail up, and was bowling in the right areas. Gayle slashed at a wider one from Blignaut and Taibu snaffled his third catch of the innings. 60 runs required from 61 balls. It was becoming a losing battle as Drakes fell for 9 and with him went any resemblance of a chance that was left of the West Indies grabbing a win.
The last three wickets (2 for Ervine, 1 for Streak) fell for 24 leaving Jacobs 25* at the other end and Zimbabwe high and dry by 21 runs. A special mention to Blignaut who’s figures of 4/43 figured prominently in Zimbabwe’s success but the Man Of The Match had to be given to the captain of Zimbabwe with his contribution with bat (65*) and ball (3/45) showing his all-round ability.

With 2 matches remaining in the series, West Indies will look to forget the last two games and concentrate on what they managed in the first game whereas Zimbabwe will look to extend their lead further.

Zimbabwe 229/5 (50 overs)
(Vermeulen 66, Streak 65*, Taibu 37*; Hinds 2/43)

West Indies 208 all out (47.2 overs)
(Gayle 61, Lara 34, Jacobs 25*; Blignaut 4/43, Streak 3/43)

Zimbabwe win by 21 runs and lead the series 2-1

Man Of The Match : Heath Streak


Posted by Peter