Match report Zimbabwe v England 2nd ODI 2004/05 by John Ward

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Scorecard:

Zimbabwe v England

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In the first match of the controversial one-day series between Zimbabwe and England, the tourists predictably won, although Zimbabwe did make them work hard all the way. Zimbabwe totalled 195, thanks mainly to an impressive sixth-wicket partnership of 82 between Elton Chigumbura and Dion Ebrahim. England’s reply was built around a century partnership for the second wicket between the debutant Ian Bell, who won the Man of the Match award, and the captain Michael Vaughan.

 

The day was hot and steamy, which often means a strong threat of rain later in the day. If he had sufficient local knowledge, this may have influenced Michael Vaughan’s decision when he won the toss and put Zimbabwe in to bat. Another factor may have been the reputation of the pitch for helping seamers for the first hour or so. Or possibly the England team just wanted to get back to the comfort and ‘security’ of their hotel as soon as possible and thought their best chance would be by bowling Zimbabwe out cheaply.

 

Zimbabwe were off the mark straight away, as Brendan Taylor pushed a ball from Darren Gough into the covers and stole a quick single. The first boundary came in the third over when Stuart Matsikenyeri cut Gough handsomely wide of third man. James Anderson bowled impressively and twice beat the edge of the bat in his first over; in his second he had a strong appeal for lbw against Taylor turned down by umpire Kevan Barbour.

 

In the fifth over Taylor drove Gough for four between mid-on and the bowler, a handsome stroke off the front foot. Gough, keeping the ball well up to the bat in the hope of maximizing swing, tended to overpitch, and went for 17 runs in his first three overs. England missed a possible run-out when Matsikenyeri was backing up too far, and the unsuccessful shy at the stumps gave Zimbabwe two overthrows.

 

Anderson, bowling a meaner length than Gough, did not escape punishment altogether, as Matsikenyeri rose on his toes and lashed him past extra cover to the boundary, a majestic stroke. But, as so often, he flattered only to deceive, out to a soft dismissal when he drove Gough at chest-height straight to Kevin Pietersen at extra cover, enabling the South African Englishman to register a contribution on an international scoresheet for the first time. Matsikenyeri made 14 and Zimbabwe were 36 for one in the ninth over.

 

Gough made way for Alex Waugh after bowling five overs for 24 runs and his wicket. Wharf soon made his mark, as Taylor, with inadequate footwork, went on the drive but chopped the ball on to his stumps via the inside edge. He made 17 and Zimbabwe were 45 for two in the 11th over.

 

The much-criticized Dion Ebrahim came in to face a torrid couple of overs, but showed a willingness to push the score along. But he soon lost Vusi Sibanda (6), who played back defensively to Wharf and played the ball on to his stumps via the inside edge. Zimbabwe were 56 for three in the 17th over.

 

Ebrahim and Mark Vermeulen struggled for runs for a couple of overs, before Vermeulen took the plunge and hammered Paul Collingwood over mid-off for a one-bounce four. But runs did not come fluently and the partnership was broken in the 26th over by a brilliant piece of fielding by Andrew Strauss in the gully. Ebrahim cut a ball that he thought would beat the fielder, but Strauss flung himself to his right to stop it. The batsmen were stranded in mid-pitch, but with the wicketkeeper back to the bowling of Gough, in his second spell, only a direct hit would suffice. Strauss duly achieved it, and with the batsmen just having crossed, non-striker Vermeulen was the man to go. He made 11, and the score was now 80 for four.

 

Tatenda Taibu dabbed a single to third man to get off the mark and also score his 1000th run in one-day internationals. But he was to become the third batsman to play the ball on to his stumps, when he had 5; trying to dab Gough to third man with a diagonal bat, he could not have aimed the ball into his middle stump better if he had tried. Zimbabwe were 90 for five in the 30th over.

 

The 100 came up in the 32nd over, the score restricted by some excellent England fielding, with a considerable number of potential fours being superbly cut off. They could do nothing about a superb straight six by Chigumbura off Wharf, taking him into the thirties, as Ebrahim gave him his head in a burgeoning partnership. Chigumbura caught up Ebrahim on 38 and then surged ahead, improvising well with scoops to fine leg when necessary.

 

Chigumbura pulled Collingwood high over mid-on for four to reach his dashing fifty off only 43 balls. He then lost Ebrahim for 45; his partner was having trouble getting Giles, left arm over the wicket, away on the leg side, and as he stepped back to try to give himself room to play straighter, he was bowled off his pads. Zimbabwe were 172 for six in the 43rd over.

 

Chigumbura fell in the next over for 52 (47 balls), slicing an attempted drive off Anderson and holing out to Collingwood, the sweeper near the cover boundary; 172 for seven in the 44th over. Next over Tinashe Panyangara, pushing forward, was perhaps dubiously adjudged lbw to Ashley Giles by umpire Brian Jerling for 1; 175 for eight.

 

Prosper Utseya and Douglas Hondo scarcely looked likely to take Zimbabwe to 200 as they groped and scratched around the crease. Hondo especially had a few wafts without even making contact, apart from a thick edge through the vacant slips. When they did make contact they ran for all they were worth, but a risky second led to the run-out of Hondo by Collingwood for 7; 194 for nine after 49 overs.

 

Utseya scrambled another run before last man, debutant Chris Mpofu, swung gallantly at his first ball from Gough and was bowled, leaving Utseya unbeaten with 11. The total was 195, with three balls to spare, and the much derided Gough returned the best figures of three for 34 off an expensive start. Wharf took two for 38 and Giles two for 36.

 

The public had obviously noted Mpofu’s recent successes with the ball, and there was much excitement when he was given the second over in preference to Hondo. Panyangara had conceded eight runs, including two no-balls, off his first over, but Mpofu began with a maiden, bowling a good off-stump line and testing opener Ian Bell, a fellow debutant, with his bounce.

 

Panyangara lasted two unimpressive overs before giving way to Hondo, who was not a great deal more impressive to start with. But he took the first wicket as Vikram Solanki (7), frustrated in his efforts to score, tried to force a ball to leg but only got a leading edge straight to the ecstatic Panyangara at mid-off. England were 21 for one in the seventh over.

 

Mpofu bowled his opening spell of five overs for six runs. Bell and Vaughan seemed to take the attitude that carefully will do it easily, and concentrated on working the ball for ones and twos square of the wicket at a rate approaching four an over. Boundaries were rare until Bell flicked Chigumbura off his toes high over midwicket, almost for six. Zimbabwe’s approach was to put the field back and play a waiting game, although their own total was not high enough to put pressure on England and this make this tactic worthwhile.

 

Mpofu returned for a second spell, and Vaughan decided to put the youngster in his place. He tried to hit him for six, high over mid-on, but did not time it well, although it did just run for four before a fielder could reach it. But six came off the over, and nine off the next, so his bubble had now burst. The England 100 came up in the 22nd over.

 

Vaughan reached his fifty first, and immediately afterwards Bell, on 46, swung Matsikenyeri to deep midwicket where Chigumbura could not hold a rather awkward catch. The bowler then denied himself another wicket in his next over when he dropped a sharp return catch offered by Vaughan, on 53. But finally both had another chance, as Vaughan tried to hit Matsikenyeri for six over midwicket but hit it straight to Chigumbura on the boundary. Vaughan scored 56, and England were 132 for two in the 30th over. The partnership had added, as umpire David Shepherd would doubtless have noted, 111 runs. Did the England dressing room forget to put their feet up?

 

The weather, after looking threatening at one stage, now became sunny again as Andrew Strauss joined Bell and England began what they anticipated would be their final run-in to victory. But Strauss (2) failed to get going, and eventually drove a low retrun catch to Matsikenyeri; 146 for three in the 34th over.

 

This at least gave Pietersen the chance to show his talent with the bat, an opportunity he might have feared missing when England took the field first. Bell was not really in line for a debut century, as he always had rather less than half the total, but he fell for 75. The man who did the trick was Taylor, the occasional off-spinner who seems to have a golden arm when brought on to bowl in one-day cricket. Trying to force Taylor on the off side, Bell edged a catch to Taibu behind the stumps. England were 170 for four in the 41st over.

 

Collingwood (1) did not last long, victim of a hesitation as Utseya made a good stop at square leg, and a good throw to the bowler’s end; 175 for five in the 42nd over. Ridiculously, Geraint Jones tried to get himself out in exactly the same way without facing a ball, but the throw this time was not as good and he survived.

 

Taibu played his last card, the return of Mpofu. The batsmen took no liberties with him, and Pietersen gave little evidence of his renowned hitting powers, being content to stay there and see England home without further loss. A sweetly timed straight drive off a rare half-volley from Mpofu saw England home, Pietersen finishing unbeaten with 27 and Jones with 7.

 

The England total was 197 for five, and they had 13 balls in hand. Matsikenyeri took his two wickets for 33 runs, while Mpofu, in 9.5 overs, took no wickets but conceded only 32 runs. Utseya finished with what for him have become absolutely typical figures of none for 39 off his ten overs. His type of bowling is ideal if his team can score enough runs to put the opposition under pressure, but at present that is not the case. Gavin Ewing might be a more attacking option; he might be more expensive, but he is more likely to take wickets and is also a better batsman.

 

If England took Zimbabwe too lightly, they should not do so again. The gulf in ability and experience between the two teams is large, but Zimbabwe managed to close the gap considerably with their sheer enthusiasm against a team that does not want to be in the country. The match was only ever likely to go one way, but England had to work hard right to the end.

 

(Article: Copyright © 2004 John Ward)