JULIAN GUYER, Nottingham | Thursday 6.30pm.
ENGLAND were 94 without loss after 37 overs at tea on the first day of the second and final Test against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge on Thursday.
Mike Atherton was 46 not out off 115 balls with nine fours and Mark Ramprakash 40 not out off 109 with six fours, the England openers getting Nasser Hussain’s team off to an ideal start.
It seemed as if Zimbabwe had achieved this without a ball being bowled: as captain Andy Flower won the toss.
He thus ensured that his fragile top-order did not have to bat first in overcast conditions and on a seamer-friendly pitch.
But a reminder of the violence in Zimbabwe, which is providing such a sombre backdrop to this tour, came when Flower’s men took the field wearing black armbands.
They were honouring Tony Oates, father of Zimbabwe A player Jason, who was murdered on Wednesday during the course of what was believed to be a robbery.
In the circumstances it was to Heath Streak’s credit that he immediately settled into a probing line and length from the Pavilion End.
The fast bowler, who claimed six for 87 at Lord’s, soon had Michael Atherton playing and missing. In his second over Atherton narrowly avoided giving chances behind the wicket to successive deliveries after just failing to make contact with an attempted cut and forward push.
Then when he drove loosely outside off stump the ball flew past second slip.
Streak’s figures from his first spell were 6-1-12-0 and he was unlucky not to have at least one wicket.
Taking the new ball alongside Streak was Test debutant Mluleki Nkala, who had an unfortunate start.
The 19-year-old aborted his first delivery as he reached the crease. He followed that up with a no-ball. Nkala recovered but failed to trouble either Atherton or Mark Ramprakash.
The Middlesex captain, in his second Test as an opener, made an unconvincing start edging down to third man.
But by the time Streak came back for a second spell at the Pavilion End, Ramprakash played him off his legs for four. Later he struck Johnson for a magnificent cover-drive to move to 40.
Flower made six bowling changes in the opening 90 minutes but no breaqkthrough came. All the time the batsmen were growing in confidence.
Atherton brought up England’s 50 off 133 balls with a forceful cut four against Neil Johnson. Next ball the Zimbabweans appealed for leg-before.
But TV replays showed umpire Dave Orchard was right to turn it down as the ball had deflected off Atherton’s inside edge.
Meanwhile Flower’s wicketkeeping, poor at Lord’s, had not noticeably improved. When Atherton was on 15 he got an inside edge driving at Mpumelelo Mbangwa to give Flower a routine chance.
Fortunately umpire Mervyn Kitchen signalled no-ball but even so it was not an inspiring sight for his hard-pressed attack.
Leg-spinner Brian Murphy was introduced to provide variation in the 29th over but conditions did not suit his bowling style and there was precious little turn. — AFP