Street sets the pace in Kwekwe

On the face of it, this match between the Zimbabwe Board XI and Gauteng B at Kwekwe Sports Club should have been no contest. The home side contained six players with over 100 Test match appearances between them, while Gauteng had only three players with any first-class experience behind them. But, where Zimbabwean teams are concerned, nothing can be taken for granted, and by the close Gauteng had taken one Zimbabwean wicket for 53 after totalling an unexpected 355 with the bat.

Gauteng are suffering the leanest period of their more than 100-year history, and their deliberate policy is to rebuild with young players. Most of the Zimbabweans, on the other hand, are on the verge of the Test team and eager to force their way in, or back.

Rain is always a serious threat in Zimbabwe in January, but the country is experiencing what is probably a brief dryish spell. The match began in hot weather under light cloudy skies that gradually cleared during the day. The pitch looked good for batting, but was likely to live up to its reputation of taking spin from the first day.

Jon Buxton-Forman won the toss for Gauteng B and was very happy to bat first. Zimbabwe began with an attacking field, including four slips and a gully, and the inexperienced Gauteng openers struggled to withstand the pace of Brighton Watambwa and Campbell Macmillan, backed up by an unnecessary amount of `encouragement' from the fielders. William Motaung made most of the early running with the bat, while Street was initially content to hold up an end.

In keeping with the reputation of the pitch for taking spin, Raymond Price came on to bowl the ninth over of the match and immediately beat the bat. In his second over he had Motaung (18) caught at slip and Gauteng B were 27 for one. Street showed a bit more aggression against the spinners, as off-spinners Barney Rogers, then Richie Sims, bowled in tandem with Price. The small left-handed 17-year-old Sandile Masingemi (29) also played some good strokes, but it was an absorbing struggle before being caught in the gully off Guy Whittall.

Undisciplined Zimbabwe bowling after lunch handed the initiative to the Gauteng batsmen. Regular full tosses, long hops and considerable width allowed Street and Buxton-Forman to hit easy runs at will and forge a notable partnership with impunity. They added 92 together before Buxton-Forman, bogged down in the forties, pushed Whittall to silly mid-off to be dismissed for 46; 186 for three.

The bowling tightened up a little without becoming threatening, and the 16-year-old Vaughan van Jaarsveld was able to settle in without difficulty. He scored 15 before he unwisely called Street for a third run that would have brought up the latter's century, and narrowly failed to make his ground. Street's century came in the following over, off his 228th ball. It was his first in any kind of adult inter-provincial cricket; unfortunately it will not go into the first-class records, despite the fact that five of Zimbabwe's bowlers have Test match experience, even if not all of them bowled like it.

He finally fell for 148, driving a return catch back to Mluleki Nkala, who then yorked Andrew Locke first ball; Gauteng were now 287 for six. Four balls later he bagged Mathew Harris (24), skying a hook, leaving one to wonder why he did not bowl until after tea. The lower order did little except for South Africa Under-19 player Gerard de Bruin, who hit a lusty unbeaten 29 before the compulsory declaration after 100 overs at 355 for nine. Nkala took three for 31, while Price's three for 167 came off 38 overs.

Alistair Campbell and Mark Vermeulen showed their class more readily than their bowlers had done, with some effortless fours in the opening overs, until Vermeulen was reluctantly required to depart the crease, given out controversially caught at first slip off Shane Burger for 31; 49 for one. At the close Campbell had 17 and night-watchman Price 1, out of 53 for one.