Zimbabweans beat Sussex by 8 wickets
After their appalling performance against Kent, Zimbabwe had the benefit of a 'pep talk' from their bowling coach Jeff Thomson, which according to one
source turned the air not so much blue as dark black! They also had a very positive meeting with ZCU president Peter Chingoka and chief executive Dave
Ellman-Brown, and travelled to Hastings encouraged and much more focused.
The morning dawned gloriously sunny, although light clouds had largely taken over by the time play started. By then more than 2000 spectators had packed
into the attractive Horntye Park Ground at Hastings, making its debut in county cricket, with more expected later. Certainly this will boost the case of the local authorities for playing regular county cricket at Hastings again. The pitch is beautiful for batting and the outfield quick - valuable assets in the one-day game especially.
Sussex won the toss and decided to bat. Richard Montgomerie quickly got off the mark by turning an overpitched leg-stump delivery from Henry Olonga to
the square-leg boundary, and runs and extras alike came steadily as the pace bowler worked up some good speed but tended to be erratic. Bryan Strang at
the other end proved more restrictive, and took the first wicket when Chris Adams (1) drove at a full-length ball and chopped it on to his stumps off the toe of his bat; Sussex 19 for one after four overs.
Montgomerie had a narrow escape in the next over, snicking a ball that fell only just short of first slip Alistair Campbell. Runs dried up for a while
until Montgomerie was again able to clip Olonga to the fine-leg boundary. Phil Cottey played himself in carefully and then displayed some fine strokes, especially on the off side. Some fine boundary fielding by the Zimbabweans kept fours to the minimum, but Cottey did pierce the field when he pulled the left-arm spin of Dirk Viljoen to the deep square-leg fence.
Zimbabwe missed a blatant chance of a run-out when Montgomerie turned a ball past midwicket and went for two, while Cottey was expecting only one. Both
batsmen were stranded in the middle of the pitch when the fielder seemed to panic, threw right across the middle of the pitch and handed Sussex some overthrows instead.
The century partnership came up, due to good batting against bowling that was more accurate than it had been against Kent but was still too often wide
of the stumps and well short of Zimbabwe's best. A superbly timed pull for four brought up Cottey's fifty and the batsmen matched each other stroke for
stroke and Cottey was particularly severe on the normally economical Grant Flower, his strokes including a six over the square-leg boundary. Sussex
appeared to have a very string grip on this match.
The stand was finally broken when Cottey tried to turn a straight ball from desperation bowler Murray Goodwin to leg and was adjudged lbw for a fine 85. The score was 195 for two, after a partnership of 176; Montgomerie was now on 93. Although it wasn't clear at the time, this was to prove the turning
point of the match.
Montgomerie cut Brent powerfully for four to reach 98, and reached his century with a drive for a single to long-on off Goodwin. It took him 141 minutes and 124 balls. Immediately afterwards he drove uppishly and bowler Brent was unable to hold what would have been a brilliant left-handed catch.
After this, in the final ten overs, Sussex failed to capitalise on the situation. Umar Rashid played some chancy strokes in an effort to keep the score moving, but when on 11 he was too eager for a quick single as
Montgomerie pushed a ball into the covers and was left stranded as Goodwin tossed the ball to Strang for an easy run-out; Sussex 233 for three.
James Carpenter was next out for 10, easily stumped as he moved down the pitch to Viljoen and chopped a bottom edge straight to Flower, who had earlier been guilty of an unusual number of fumbles. Sussex were 253 for four, slowing down too much as wickets fell, despite having more wickets in hand. A fine straight drive for four by Montgomerie off the final ball took
the score to a potentially match-winning 264 for four. Zimbabwe do had potential to overtake that total, but after their display against Kent would
have find few backers.
Nine runs came off the first over of Zimbabwe's reply, bowled by Jason Lewry. Most of the early runs were scored by Grant Flower, who went for his strokes from the start with fine timing; nobody would have guessed at his lack of form throughout the recent season. Pulling to leg and driving to the off, he was for once putting his more aggressive partner in the shade -
30 against 8.
Local player Mike Yardy, newly on the Sussex staff, came on to bowl to great acclaim from his home crowd, and Johnson watched him for three balls before
driving him for a straight six. He now seemed to consider his eye in, as he drove Robin Martin-Jenkins at the other end for a powerful straight four,
followed by a typical boundary through extra cover. Sussex blocked the boundaries as best they could, but the batsmen were settled enough to keep the ones and twos coming, even if they did snick a couple of fortunate boundaries. Thanks to that rare animal in recent times, a good opening partnership, Zimbabwe were placing themselves on course for a possible
victory.
Flower, as adventurous as any batsman in peak form, stepped down the pitch to Martin-Jenkins and drove him superbly wide of mid-on for four. Shortly afterwards he reached what for this season has been a rare fifty by pulling Yardy for a four that almost carried for six. Shortly afterwards, the 100 came up in the 21st over.
Immediately after that, Sussex missed the chance of a run-out as Flower cut a ball backward of point and confidently set off for a single. Adams fielded brilliantly with Flower halfway down the pitch, and had his shy at the stumps hit the batsman would have gone. Only minutes later it happened again, only this time Johnson was coming down the pitch as well. This time the throw hit the stumps, and Flower was gone for 53; Zimbabwe 104 for one. Zimbabwean players sometimes have a history of failing to learn a lesson, and this time paid the penalty very quickly.
Murray Goodwin came in and quickly swept a four off Rashid. With determined aggression, he cut and pulled House for two boundaries to maintain the momentum. At the 25-over break, Zimbabwe were 130 for one (Johnson 49, Goodwin 15).
Johnson opened up after reaching his fifty with some superb boundaries on both sides of the wicket, with his usual trademark drives through extra cover much in evidence. All guns were blazing now. Goodwin, overshadowed for a while, pulled Martin-Jenkins for six. Zimbabwe appeared to be heading for victory - but nobody who has followed the team would be too sure!
Going for another big hit, Goodwin skyed a ball to be caught by Adams of Yardy at a short third-man position. He made 63; Zimbabwe were 219 for two,
and well on course. Campbell looked comfortable from the moment he arrived at the crease, getting off the mark with an effortless cover drive for four. Johnson reached one of his slower one-day centuries in the 45th over with a typical boundary through extra cover. Zimbabwe kept up the momentum until the end, with Campbell driving House to the sightscreen for two fours in the 48th over to see Zimbabwe home. This was one of their most impressive performances - but one can never be sure until the game is over.
