A pathetic batting display by Zimbabwe, all out for 155 in 59 overs on anideal batting pitch, has almost certainly condemned them to heavy defeat atQueens Sports Club in Bulawayo

John Ward19-Jul-2001A pathetic batting display by Zimbabwe, all out for 155 in 59 overs on anideal batting pitch, has almost certainly condemned them to heavy defeat atQueens Sports Club in Bulawayo. The manner of their demise, against goodbut not lethal bowling, will elicit no sympathy from their long-sufferingsupporters, as one soft dismissal followed another and fighting spiritseemed an altogether foreign quality. At the close West Indies had run upexactly 100 without loss and could anticipate rich pickings on day two.It was another sunny winter’s morning as play began in the First Test of the two-match series. It looked a beautiful pitch for batting, unlikely to give the bowlers too much early assistance, and Heath Streak was eager to bat on winning the toss.Zimbabwe gave Craig Wishart one of his irregular Test caps as a battingreplacement for Andy Flower, deciding to risk a four-man bowling attack.Wicket-keeper Tatenda Taibu made his Test debut at the age of 18. WestIndies included Pedro Collins, who has not played on tour since his arrivala few days ago, in preference to Corey Collymore, after assessing the two inpractice.The match started late for perhaps a unique reason: bowler Reon King complained about difficulty in starting his run-up from the sponsor’s logo on the outfield. About five minutes were lost until it was decided that nothing could be done about it and he would have to make do. He took it out on Dion Ebrahim, who survived a hostile opening over.Zimbabwe had moved Alistair Campbell up to open for the first time in Tests,restoring Guy Whittall to the middle order, a commendable gamble as neitherhad scored runs in their former positions against India. Collins, arare West Indian left-arm-over paceman who has not played first-classcricket for a year, had the hapless Ebrahim, who has rarely been happy as anopener, trapped lbw playing round a ball of full length without scoring.Both Campbell and Stuart Carlisle came close to giving catches early on asthe bowlers looked impressive when they pitched the ball up. Slowly,though, they found their confidence, until Carlisle (10), as so oftenhappens once he has appeared to settle in, lost his wicket, driving atCollins to edge a catch to second slip.Campbell (21) has the same problem, as he demonstrated in the next over, as he went after a very wide ball from King and gave the ‘keeper a presentation catch. Zimbabwe were once again throwing away their chances in fine batting conditions at 31 for three. One technically incorrect stroke was followed by two gifted wickets.Craig Wishart and Guy Whittall now had to repair the damage, with Wishartdominating and occasionally breaking through with a superb boundary,including a straight six off Neil McGarrell, in a manner perhaps reminiscentof Robin Smith. But he also fell to a soft dismissal on 36, driving Colin Stuart uppishly to backward point. At 85 for four at lunch, Zimbabwe had quite squandered their advantage, and would have done even worse had Whittall succeeded in his effort to run himself out off the last ball before the interval.Grant Flower (6) fell soon after lunch, caught at the wicket pushingdefensively at an excellent leg-cutter from King. Whittall, batting withdiscrimination against good bowling, gradually found his fluency, but Streakscored only five before cutting left-arm spinner McGarrell to backwardpoint, where Shivnarine Chanderpaul took a sharp low catch. Zimbabwe werenow 119 for six.Whittall and, uncharacteristically, Andy Blignaut dug in defensively, whileCollins added to the West Indian injury worries by limping off with a hurtleg. He was replaced by Stuart, who dismissed Whittall (42), flashingoutside the off stump to be caught by first slip off the rebound fromsecond.Taibu’s first Test runs came from a one-bounce four, a hook off Stuart, justbefore tea, but was out shortly afterwards, easily caught in the covers offa leading edge for six, trying to turn Stuart to leg.Following this, Blignaut (21) became the third batsman to hit an offering to backward point, King being the lucky bowler, and Raymond Price fell lbw second ball.Zimbabwe were dismissed for 155 in one of their most spineless displays on abeautiful batting pitch. One can only assume that their morale has beenshattered by the political shenanigans off the field and they lack theprofessional qualities to play above that.Chris Gayle was soon timing the ball with exquisite sweetness, determined todominate from the start, as West Indies began their innings. The threat ofthe world-class Streak or the accuracy of Bryan Strang had no effect on himas he treated both roughly, but left-arm spinner Price put a brake on thescoring. Daren Ganga, although overshadowed, batted soundly on the whole,as usual at about half the scoring rate of Gayle, with the odd miscue fromthe batsmen not going to hand.Gayle reached his fifty off 68 balls, and at the close was 52 not out, withGanga, who hit freely in the dying overs of the day, 44.