Injuries to three of South Africa’s main bowlers caused headaches for South African skipper Graeme Smith after lunch on the first day of the second Castle Lager/MTN Test against Zimbabwe at Supersport Park on Friday, in a session that saw three wickets fall in three overs without any addition to the score. Zimbabwe went to tea on 189 for seven.
Andre Nel (hamstring), Charl Langeveldt (lower back) and Jacques Kallis (right hip) all left the field with injuries. Langeveldt’s injury is regarded as the most serious, but the absence of the three bowlers meant that Smith had to improvise, even calling on AB de Villiers, better known as a wicketkeeper/batsman, to bowl.
Early in the session, Kallis and Zondeki grabbed three wickets in successive overs, to have Zimbabwe reeling on 115 for seven.
Kallis bowled Dion Ebrahim for 37 with a beautiful inswinger, Zondeki had Tatenda Taibu caught by Herschelle Gibbs at backward point for 14, and Elton Chigumbura was caught by the substitute Aaron Phangiso for a duck — all without a run being added to the total.
However, former captain Heath Streak and Andy Blignaut, both of whom have just returned to the Zimbabwe team after a lengthy dispute with the Zimbabwe Cricket Union, did much to restore respectability to the Zimbabwean innings with a partnership of 74.
Blignaut’s 50 came up in 75 minutes off 48 balls, including four fours and a six. He went to tea on 51 and Streak had 22.
Zim to lunch on 96 for four
Earlier, a partnership of 49 in as many balls between Hamilton Masakadza and Dion Ebrahim meant that Zimbabwe went to lunch on 96 for four, looking a little more respectable than they had done in the first Test a week ago.
Graeme Smith won the toss and sent Zimbabwe in to bat. It took just less than half an hour before the first wicket fell, when Barney Rogers misjudged the pace of a delivery from Andre Nel, and was caught behind by Mark Boucher for seven.
Stuart Matsikenyeri lasted another 30 minutes before he was caught at first slip by Smith off Charl Langeveldt for 12.
Dion Ebrahim and Hamilton Masakadza showed some defiance, with a partnership of 49 runs, which included nine fours, before Masakadza, surprised by the pace of a delivery from Monde Zondeki, hit the ball high in the air.
Jacques Kallis got his hands to it and knocked it up for Smith to take the catch. Masakadza made 26 runs at a run a ball and found the boundary six times.
Kallis captured Brendan Taylor’s wicket with a brilliant in-swinger, which knocked Taylor’s off stump back, sending him back to the pavilion for four.
At lunch, Ebrahim was not out on 31, and Tatenda Taibu had five. — Sapa