da bwin： Andy Flower, a giant among pygmies, again played the role of Horatius on thebridge, frustrating the might of South Africa as they attempted to wrap upthe First Test match against Zimbabwe in four days
John Ward10-Sep-2001Andy Flower, a giant among pygmies, again played the role of Horatius on thebridge, frustrating the might of South Africa as they attempted to wrap upthe First Test match against Zimbabwe in four days. Flower set severalrecords during the day and he was still there with 138 at the close, havingso far batted for 12-and-a-half hours in the match. His team finished 10 runs frommaking South Africa bat again, with three wickets in hand.As play began, a few quiet singles from Flower, 43 overnight, took him tohis fifty; this was the fifth time in his career he has scored a century anda fifty in the same Test match, and the fourth time in two years. It washis 11th fifty in his last 14 Test innings, and he has now played 15successive innings without being dismissed by a bowler for less than 40.An on-drive from his overnight partner, Hamilton Masakadza, off ClaudeHenderson for four brought him his fifty and also Zimbabwe’s first centurypartnership in four Tests against South Africa. Flower’s next landmark was200 runs in the match, for the fourth time in his career, all during thelast two years.Masakadza enjoyed a life on 56 when he cut Makhaya Ntini hard into thegully, and Shaun Pollock was unable to hold a sharp chance. Overall theSouth African fielding in this match was a little short of their usualstandard of near perfection, with Zimbabwe also benefiting in both inningsfrom several misfields. Another difficult but possible chance came on 70,when the same batsman edged a cut from Lance Klusener low past first slipJacques Kallis, who was unable to get a hand to it.Masakadza enjoyed another life on 79, immediately after lunch, missed offanother hard chance in the gully. Then Henderson settled into a tightleg-stump line that tied him down, and finally got his man, caught at shortleg off pad and bat for 85. It was a good decision by umpire Tiffin despitea comparatively muted appeal, after both umpires during the morning hadcorrectly, according to replays, given several close decisions in favour ofthe batsmen. The pair had added 186 for the third wicket.A reverse sweep for four off Henderson in the last over before the secondnew ball brought Flower his second century of the match, the secondZimbabwean to do so after his brother Grant, and the first wicket-keeper todo so in Test cricket. Nobody else has performed the feat against thestrong South African attack since readmission; in fact, not since AustralianJack Moroney in 1949/50.When South Africa took the second new ball, Andy retreated intowatchfulness. Grant, still battling with mental and technical problems,scored 16 before driving Ntini straight to cover just before tea, when Andywas on 115 and Zimbabwe still needed 65 more to avoid the innings defeat.On either side of tea the cricket developed into a war of attrition as SouthAfrica, unable to dismiss Flower, bowled a defensive line outside off stumpto restrain him. Flower occasionally broke through the field but GuyWhittall (3) never looked happy before being adjudged lbw to Henderson.Heath Streak (19) was brilliantly caught by Kallis at second slip offPollock, while Flower hung on, though visibly tiring after almost two fulldays keeping wicket followed by an even longer period at the crease. TravisFriend, though, looked like repeating his impressive defiance of the firstinnings and was unbeaten with 10 at the close.