A superb tenth Test century by Andy Flower was the highlight of the third
day's play at Harare Sports Club, but despite his efforts Zimbabwe, whose
batting closely resembled the legendary curate's egg, were forced to follow
on after being dismissed by South Africa for 286. Batting again, they again relied on Flower to rescue them, finishing at 97 for three.
Zimbabwe lost a wicket to the first ball of the morning, as Andre Nel made a
ball lift on the unsuspecting night-watchman Raymond Price (0), to lob off
the shoulder of his bat into the gully. With the total still on 143, Grant
Flower (0) was brilliantly caught by Boeta Dippenaar at short leg off Nel
and Zimbabwe, capable of both heights and depths, seemed intent on plumbing
the latter.
Guy Whittall at least seemed untroubled, and a large partnership was a real
possibility until Jacques Kallis, who had been in danger of losing his cool
when attacked by Flower, deceived and yorked Whittall (16) with an excellent
slower ball. Zimbabwe were 188 for seven, and it appeared that only an
outstanding partnership between Flower and Heath Streak could save the
follow-on.
Flower, backing himself as he played his favourite reverse sweep several
times against the spin of Claude Henderson, reached 4 000 Test runs when he
had scored 92, but lost Heath Streak (7) just before lunch. The Zimbabwe
captain padded up to a ball from Henderson outside off stump that did no
more than hold its line, and was adjudged lbw by umpire Hair. The replay
showed the decision to be in error, but Streak had only himself to blame for
not playing a stroke.
Flower duly reached his tenth Test century, and the first by a Zimbabwean
against South Africa, in the first over after lunch, playing a rare straight
drive to the boundary past bowler Makhaya Ntini. Every one of his
three-figure scores has been recorded in adversity.
Travis Friend gained in confidence as South Africa took the second new ball,
hitting three fours in an over from Nel, although one was an accidental and
amusing deflection to fine leg off the back of the bat as he ducked a
bouncer. Is this the birth of the reverse cut? Flower hammered Pollock for
three successive off-side boundaries, and it was Nel who finally broke the
stand, as Friend (30) edged him to third slip. The pair had added an
invaluable 75 for the ninth wicket.
Douglas Hondo defended gallantly until Flower was last out, adjudged lbw to
Pollock for 142 by umpire Tiffin despite being hit outside the line of off
stump while playing a stroke. He faced 200 balls and hit 14 fours as the
Zimbabwe innings came to an end for 286. Nel, on his debut, took four
wickets for 53. 314 runs behind, Zimbabwe were required to follow on.
Zimbabwe were soon rocked by the loss without a run on the board of Dion
Ebrahim, who failed to learn from his captain the danger of padding up
without playing a stroke, although this time umpire Hair's decision in
favour of Pollock looked good. Then, on the stroke of tea, Kallis
again took a wicket in his first over, bowling Alistair Campbell (7) through
the gate via the inside edge. Zimbabwe were once again in trouble at 18 for
two.
Craig Wishart (6) was caught at slip off Pollock, a second failure that
could well move the selectors to drop him once again, and this brought in
Andy Flower for the second time during the day. Once again, at 25 for
three, the innings was in crisis, and the positive strokeplay of the first
innings was also lacking. Hamilton Masakadza, although looking sound,
became becalmed, while Flower, although playing some good strokes, did not
look as comfortable as he had first time round.
However, they kept their heads and their wickets intact, and towards the
close began to play with more freedom. Masakadza finished the day on 37 and
Flower on 43, while Zimbabwe still need another 217 runs to avoid the
innings defeat.