Zimbabwe v. West Indies - ODI series

[Donny]

Vermeulen takes Zimbabwe to victory

The Wisden Bulletin by John Ward

An unbeaten 66 from Mark Vermeulen helped Zimbabwe to beat West Indies by six wickets and draw level in the five-match one-day series. After West Indies won the toss and batted, they crumbled to a meagre 125, which Zimbabwe strolled past with more than 20 overs to spare.

While the batsmen gorged themselves at Bulawayo yesterday, it was a different story today on a pitch with a little more spin and bounce. West Indies never got going and collapsed astonishingly, while Zimbabwe struggled nervously to reach their low target until Vermeulen and Heath Streak finally took charge in the final half-hour.

West Indies' failure was due to a mixture of accurate bowling, good fielding, and batting errors. Saturday's centurymakers, Chris Gayle and Brian Lara, scored just 10 runs between them, and the only batsman to put up a real fight was Marlon Samuels, who finished unbeaten on 36.

Zimbabwe appeared to have little better to look forward to than another hard slog in the field as Gayle and Wavell Hinds made a confident start. However, that soon changed when Gayle wafted outside the off stump at Andy Blignaut and nudged a gentle catch to Tatenda Taibu, the wicketkeeper, for 8 (18 for 1). Lara started comfortably enough, but then the ground erupted as he tried to turn a full, straight one from Blignaut to leg, and was plumb leg-before for 2 (26 for 2).

Those two big wickets stripped West Indies of their confidence. Hinds and Ramnaresh Sarwan dug in, but did not try to take control. Hinds had made 17 when he was deceived into edging Sean Ervine's slower ball to Taibu while driving outside off (41 for 3). Shivnarine Chanderpaul, after settling in, decided the time had come to take charge. He hit Gary Brent for four and six off successive balls, and then launched a fierce off-drive – but Streak took a superb diving catch at short extra cover (71 for 4).

Two balls later and things got worse for West Indies. Samuels called for a quick single to midwicket, only for Blignaut to make a superb pick-up and throw – and brilliantly run Sarwan out for a dogged 13.

The one-way traffic continued. Ricardo Powell struggled to 6 off 20 balls before he tried to dab Ray Price to third man and edged a catch behind (85 for 6). The tail then wilted under the pressure, as the bowlers never let up. Carlton Baugh and Vasbert Drakes both fell to Trevor Gripper, both for 2, and Ravi Rampaul became Price's second victim for a single. Samuels, meanwhile, was left stranded at the other end.

Zimbabwe, however, were not long in imitating the headless-chicken behaviour that is often associated with their batting when put under pressure. In only the third over, Gripper pulled Rampaul towards the distant midwicket boundary and ran himself out for 6, attempting a highly improbable fourth run (8 for 1). Without addition, Vusi Sibanda, who had not scored, slashed at a short one from Drakes too close to his body, and was caught by Baugh.

Craig Wishart made only 8 before trying to pull the wrong ball from Corey Collymore, and was caught by Sarwan at mid-on (31 for 3), and Stuart Matsikenyeri (3) then missed a Collymore yorker (54 for 4). It was a wise decision by Streak, the team's best man in a crisis, to come in next. He survived two hard chances early on, and these proved to be the final turning points of the match.

Zimbabwe were deeply grateful that Vermeulen was at the other end, looking as languid and unconcerned as ever, and striking the ball effortlessly through the off side. He hit 13 fours in his valuable innings – the third fifty of his one-day career.

Just after Vermeulen reached his half-century, off 65 balls, Streak decided it was time to make his move. He hit Rampaul for three fours in an over, and the shackles finally fell off as Zimbabwe cruised to victory with no further difficulty. Fittingly, it was a typically stylish four through the covers by Vermeulen, the Man of the Match, which took his side home and levelled the series.

[commonwombat]

Another very pleasing result. It's good to see the Zimbabweans progress from their Australian tour. It seems that a number have learned to believe in themselves and their ability to be legitimate intl cricketers.

The following WI tour of Sth Africa will be very interesting indeed.

[couragous cloke]

[Donny]

Streak praises Zimbabwe fightback

Wisden Cricinfo staff

Heath Streak, Zimbabwe's captain, hailed his side's performance after they fought back to beat West Indies by six wickets in the second one-day international at Bulawayo.

The day after being hammered to all parts by Chris Gayle and Brian Lara in the first match, which they lost by 51 runs, Zimbabwe showed a dramatic improvement to win the next game after skittling West Indies for only 125.

"We got the early wickets and we managed to sustain that pressure, so it was a great effort by the boys," said Streak. "It was a bad day for us yesterday and we sat down and were honest with each other."

Andy Blignaut led the way by picking up both Gayle and Lara in the first ten overs, and he was backed up by Ray Price (2 for 16) and Trevor Gripper (2 for 2."We asked for a bigger effort and that is exactly what happened," said Streak.

Brian Lara, West Indies captain, however, laid the blame on the players and their attitude. "I don't think there was any difference in the pitch. I think our approach needs to be looked at," he admitted. "I just thought our attitude going out today may have been a little too relaxed."

[Donny]

Lara won the toss and sent Zimbabwe in to bat in their 3rd. one-dayer.

In the 12th. over, they are 1/33. Dillon has the wicket.

[HAL]

That was a long time ago.

[Donny]

Zimbabwe were held to 5/229 with only Vermeulen (66 from 70 balls) able to get at the bowling.

Streak (65 n.o.) and Taibu (37 n.o.) put on 90 but somewhat slowly.

The Windies are 2/89 in the 20th. over with Gayle (33 n.o.) and Lara (30 n.o.) in a position to attack.

[Donny]

Lara (34) was bowled by Streak (2/39). 3/105 in the 26th. over.

[Donny]

Streak inspires Zimbabwe to 21-run win

The Wisden Bulletin by John Ward

In an exciting finish, Zimbabwe put up another fine disciplined performance to beat West Indies by 21 runs, and take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series. It was absorbing, rather than champagne, cricket, with discipline instead of flair the order of the day - but another dedicated bowling performance by Andy Blignaut and Heath Streak was, in the end, the telling factor.

Zimbabwe might have done a little better than their eventual 229, as they still had five wickets in hand, but they chose to play safe first rather than back themselves to reach 250. In the field, though, their discipline triumphed over West Indies' initial flair, which then turned to nerves.

Wavell Hinds made most of the early running in the run-chase, hitting a glorious six over long-on in Streak's second over, but after he had made 13, he edged an offcutter from Blignaut to the keeper (24 for 1). Tatenda Taibu was again in the action in the next over when Ramnaresh Sarwan, facing his first ball, fished outside off and also found the edge, this time off Streak (25 for 2).

Chris Gayle and Brian Lara then took charge, mixing sound defence with some dazzling attacking strokes. Zimbabwe's second-string bowlers scarcely threatened, so Streak decided, as so often, that if anything dramatic was going to happen he was going to have to do it himself.

Bringing himself on for a second spell, he produced a superb yorker to Lara (34) to match his one from the Bulawayo Test. It pierced that high backlift and hit middle and leg (95 for 3). This proved to be a major turning point, as West Indies were just beginning to pull ahead, thanks to Gayle, who was playing the anchor role.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul contributed 19 before top-edging a sweep off Ray Price, who was doing a fine containing job, and West Indies were losing their way (120 for 4). But then the balance swung back, as Marlon Samuels raced to 25 off only 19 balls.

And then it all changed again, as Streak, with only two overs left himself, decided to bowl out Blignaut in an effort to force another breakthrough. It was an inspired move. Samuels ill-advisedly lofted a pull to the midwicket boundary, and was caught by Sean Ervine (164 for 5), then next ball Ricardo Powell was yorked by Blignaut. In the space of two balls, 164 for 4 had become a much shakier 164 for 6, and the balance had well and truly swung towards Zimbabwe. And this time it didn't swing back.

Zimbabwe never relaxed their grip, and each of the bowlers did his job. Six runs later Gayle finally fell for 61, slashing at Blignaut outside the off stump to give Taibu another of his four catches (170 for 7). There was still the chance of a lightning innings from Ridley Jacobs or Vasbert Drakes, but the bowlers kept their nerve and, strangely, the batsmen seemed to lack the nerve to attack, preferring instead to look mainly for ones and twos.

It was a forlorn policy, and the crowd of nearly 3000 were jubilant when the last wicket fell at 208 when Corey Collymore was lbw to Ervine, leaving Jacobs stranded on 25.

It represented another improvement from Zimbabwe, who have recovered well from their heavy defeat in the first match, and who again were thankful to their captain for bailing them out of trouble with the bat. Streak hit a careful 65 not out and, along with Mark Vermeulen, rescued Zimbabwe from a treacherous 85 for 4 to a respectable 229 for 5.

After they were put in, the openers Vusi Sibanda and Trevor Gripper made a solid start, but after they had put on 22, the top order folded. However, Streak, ever the man for a crisis, batted solidly, although he waited a little too long before deciding it was time for the final assault, preferring to dab and push.

It took him 76 balls to reach his fifty, his tenth in one-dayers but surprisingly his first in Zimbabwe. He supported Vermeulen well, who continued his good form with a breezy 66 from 70 balls. Streak and Taibu then added a vital 90 in 13.3 overs, and even though the total looked a little short, it proved more than adequate in the end.

[couragous cloke]

we need 1 hell of a weekend

[couragous cloke]

west indies batting first in the 4th ODI are...

West Indies 203/2 (38.0 ov)

Hinds 96 n.o
Sarwan 30 n.o

Lara 17
gayle 50

[Donny]

Fidel Edwards took a wicket with his first ball in a ODI and also bagged the best debut bowling figures ever, beating Tony Dodemaide's 5/21 in 1987.

He had 5/10 from 5 overs and came back to claim Zimbabwe's top scorer, Tatenda Taibu (66), and finished with 6/22 from 7 overs.

Zimbabwe could only manage 7/150, falling 73 short of the runs needed to win. Because of rain, their target was reduced to 223 from 32 overs.

The first 6 batsmen failed to reach double figures. Irvine was 37 n.o.

[HAL]

What happened to 510 from 5 overs and came back to claim Zimbabwe's top scorer Tatenda Taibu 66 and finished with 622 from 7 overs ?

[Donny]

Wicket with first ball in ODIs.

GG Arnold England v Australia Manchester 1972
CH Lloyd West Indies v England Oval 1973
Shahid Mahboob Pakistan v India Lahore 1982/83
SA Thomson New Zealand v India Dunedin 1989/90
Inzamam-ul-Haq Pakistan v Windies Faisalabad 1991/92
EZ Matambanadzo Zimb. v Pakistan Peshawar 1996/97
S Ramesh India v Windies Singapore 1999/2000
WW Hinds Windies v India Singapore 1999/2000
JS Ababu Kenya v Zimbabwe Nairobi 1999/2000
M van Jaarsveld S. A. v Bangladesh Kimberley 2002/03
M Zondeki South Africa v Sri Lanka Bloemfontein 2002/03
KS Lokuarachchi Kenya v Sri Lanka Sharjah 2002/03
R Clarke England v Pakistan Manchester 2003
FH Edwards Zimbabwe v West Indies Harare 2003/04

Note: Ramesh and Hinds performed the feat in the same match

[Donny]

Well, Fidel's honeymoon didn't last long.

One of his 6 victims (last night's match), Barney Rubble .. oops Barney Rogers, hit him out of the attack to the tune of more than 7 r.p.o. in scoring 34 from 40 balls.

After 16 overs, Zimbabwe are 2/82 and looking good in this, the decider. The two teams are locked at 2-2.