Zimbabwe v. Western Australia

[Donny]

W.A. won the toss and sent Zimbabwe in to bat.

After 75 overs, they are 7/228 with Wishart 89 n.o. and Streak, 28 n.o.

Wilson, Wates and Angel each have two wickets.

[Donny]

At stumps, Zimbabwe are 7/254. Wishart is 93 n.o. and Streak, 45 n.o.

[Donny]

Wishart reached his hundred but was out straight after, to Wilson.

Streak didn't add to his overnight 45 and also fell to 'Blocker' Wilson.

Wilson has 4/41 from 28 overs and Zimbabwe are on 9/280.

[Donny]

Andy Blignaut has racked up a good 50 and Zimbabwe are 9/321.

[HAL]

[Donny]

Yes, HAL. Why do you ask ?

[HAL]

I am inquisitive. . . . and making conversation.

[Donny]

Muchas gracias, HAL (amigo).

Zimbabwe made 330. Blignaut was stumped for 57.

W.A. are 6/197 after 53 overs. Marcus North made 59 and Scott Meuleman, 47.

Streak has taken 3/34 from 13 overs whilst Blignaut has gone for 63 from 12 but did take 2 wickets.

[Donny]

W.A. declared at start of play on 6/207.

Zimbabwe lost Ibrahim (6) early but are now 1/78 after 24 overs.

[HAL]

Ummm. . . all of them?

[Donny]

2/92 at lunch. Trevor Gripper is 48 n.o. Vermeulen made 30.

[Donny]

Zimbabwe declared on 6/146.

Once again it was the veteran, Blocker Wilson, who did the damage. He took 3/26 for match figures of 44 overs, 22 maidens and 7/67.

This left W.A. needing 270 to win from 38 overs.

After a steady start, Hussey (79 from 79 balls) and Campbell (59 from 57) really gave it a good go until both fell to Gripper.

As things stand they need 44 from 5 overs. Peter Worthington is 39 n.o. from 24 balls

[Donny]

What a finish !!

W.A, needed 15 from the last over.

North hit 2, 2, dot, 4, 2 leg byes and, needing a 6 from the last ball, could only manage a single.

An excellent attempt from the Warriors. Their run rate was 7.00.

The 22 overs from Streak and Blignaut yielded 141 runs. Not a good sign, as these two are the Test openers.

[Donny]

WA just miss victory after thrilling chase
Lynn McConnell - October 5, 2003

Western Australia came home with a sprint in their quest to score 270 off 38 overs to beat the Zimbabweans, but finally fell four runs short. It was a close-run thing in a thrilling test of cricket character which left the Zimbabweans hanging on by their fingernails.

It seemed that Heath Streak had set an improbable target, but that fighting quality that is so obvious in Australian international cricket also exists at first-class level. The WA top order responded to the challenge in superb style, and put the Zimbabwean attack through hell. But in the end, a tight penultimate over from Sean Ervine, which yielded only three singles, managed to shut the assault down. Andy Blignaut was left to bowl the last over with 15 runs required. While Marcus North did his best, 11 was all that could be managed.

Chris Rogers gave WA their initial impetus. He scored 26 of the first 32 runs before he was dismissed to a tidy catch low down at backward point by Mark Vermeulen off Blignaut. But once Ryan Campbell joined Mike Hussey the target was lifted into the realms of possibility. They scored at better than a run a ball in their 128-run stand, with Campbell scoring his half-century from 52 deliveries.

Smart running between the wickets kept the pressure on the Zimbabwean fielders, and the 100 partnership came up in an hour off only 79 balls. But the heat was always on the batsmen too, and when Campbell advanced to take on Trevor Gripper's offspin he was stumped for 59. At one stage Gripper was no-balled for having too many men behind square - the batsmen weren't the only ones feeling the pressure.

Gripper had his reward with Hussey's wicket after he had waltzed to 79 from as many balls. That left WA at 211 for 3, but Peter Worthington continued to take the attack to the bowlers and his 27-ball innings produced 45 runs and pulled his side back to the point where they needed 32 runs from 25 balls. But then Worthington lofted Ervine to long-off, and the draw loomed. All the Zimbabwean bowlers suffered - Streak finished with 0 for 81 from 13 overs, Blignaut 1 for 60 off nine, Ervine 1 for 57 from nine, and Gripper 2 for 57 off seven.

It was a situation created by declarations. Western Australia declared at 207 for 6 overnight, and then the Zimbabweans responded at 146 for 6, although there must have been some moments of disquiet at the manner of the dismissal of several of their top-order batsmen. Gripper proved the most consistent of them, with 54, but he was out to the last ball of the same over - the first after lunch - in which he reached his half-century. Paul Wilson, who finished with 3 for 26, grabbed three quick wickets to have the Zimbabweans struggling at 124 for 6.

There was an unusual interruption in the morning session, when a swarm of bees descended on Chris Rogers while he was fielding. He fell to the ground and was attempting to beat off the bees before his team-mates realised what was happening. When the bees followed Rogers towards the pitch, the players at the wicketkeeper's end decided to move smartly to the bowler's end, but they soon had to move even closer to the pavilion. At that point the umpires decided to call for drinks nine minutes ahead of schedule. Four minutes were lost before the swarm flew off, allowing play to resume.

It was a sign of things to come: just when it seemed the match would peter out to a tame draw, it had some sting to it.