Cricketers from Zimbabwe have provided much pleasure to cricketfollowers during their short and infrequent visits to this country. Asthey have illustrated during their first decade of playing Testcricket, they possess many of the qualities required for the longergame but at the same time have also displayed the effervescence thatis associated with limited overs cricket. At least a couple ofZimbabwe players have provided the kind of sparkling cricket thatwould rank their performances alongside the many outstanding featsnotched up by visiting players in India.The first such performance was Dave Houghton’s 141 against New Zealandin a Reliance World Cup encounter at Hyderabad in October 1987. It isa knock that is fondly remembered by those lucky enough to have seenit. Both teams were playing their opening encounter in the tournamentand few gave Zimbabwe any chance of even giving their experiencedopponents a scare. New Zealand led off with 242 for seven in 50 oversand seemed to have sewn the match up by dismissing seven Zimbabwebatsmen for 104 runs. Houghton was in good touch and had reached hishalf-century but he had little support. Now, at last he found an ablepartner in Ian Butchart and the two brought Zimbabwe back into thematch with an eighth wicket partnership of 117 ­ then the highesteighth wicket partnership in one-day internationals.Houghton dominated the stand with some dazzling shots and he gotZimbabwe to within 22 runs of their target in the 47th over. By thistime, he had raced to 141 from 138 balls with three sixes and 13fours. It took a great running catch by Martin Crowe almost on theboundary line to dismiss him. But when he was out at 221, Zimbabwestill had a chance of pulling off an upset victory. They wanted sixfrom the final over but Butchart was run out off the fourth ball andNew Zealand squeaked home by three runs.When Zimbabwe, within months after playing their inaugural Test, cameover to India for a short tour of one Test and three one-dayinternationals, they were given little chance to do well in the faceof a formidable batting line-up and an in-form spin trio bowling ontailor-made pitches. But one player stood out in the Test match.Andy Flower gave an early indication of why over the years he wouldtake his place among the world’s leading batsmen, a player difficultto dislodge and one with an insatiable appetite for runs. In the faceof an imposing Indian total of 536 for seven declared, the pugnaciousleft-hander led Zimbabwe’s defiance with a century of character. Withbrother Grant (96) he added 192 runs for the fourth wicket, dominatingthe stand in scoring 115. He batted 289 minutes and got his runs from236 balls. Despite his courageous knock in trying circumstances,Zimbabwe were forced to follow on.In the second innings, the Indian spin trio of Rajesh Chauhan, AnilKumble and Maninder Singh found it impossible to dismiss Andy Flower.In a more subdued innings, he batted 214 minutes and 191 balls for anunbeaten 62. Zimbabwe were all out for 201 to lose by an innings and13 runs. But displaying defence of a high calibre on a wearing wicket,Flower batted almost eight and a half hours in all to ensure thatZimbabwe, though beaten, were far from disgraced.But even this stout-hearted performance almost pales intoinsignificance when placed alongside Andy Flower’s own feats on the2000-2001 tour of this country. By this time, he was recognised as thecountry’s leading batsman who did not let the additional duties behindthe stumps affect his batting. And he proved this in spades with asuperb showing in the two Tests. His intense concentration, singleminded dedication towards the pursuit of runs and insatiable appetitefor big scores saw him set a record that stood alongside those ofother great batsmen who have visited India. In the first Test at NewDelhi, he came in when the score was 134 for three and this soonbecame 155 for five. By expertly farming the strike, Flower with thehelp of the tail saw the total reach 422. This great rearguard actionculminated in a last wicket partnership of 97 runs in about 2-1/2hours with Henry Olonga (11).Flower remained unbeaten on 183 for which he batted 466 balls andfaced 351 balls, hitting 24 fours and two sixes in the process. In thesecond innings, in a total of 225, he again top-scored with 70. In thesecond Test at Nagpur, Flower continued from where he left off at theKotla. In the first innings, his contribution was a modest 55. Butwhen Zimbabwe followed on 227 runs behind, Flower was defiancepersonified. After three wickets had fallen for 61, he and AlistairCampbell (102) added 209 runs for the fourth wicket. The final day wascompletely dominated by Flower and there was never any chance of himbeing dismissed. When the match ended in a draw with Zimbabwe 503 forsix, Flower was still unconquered on 232. This time he batted 544minutes, faced 444 balls and hit 30 fours and two sixes.His aggregate of 540 runs in two Tests gave him a mind-bogglingaverage of 270.00. In all, he had batted 1331 minutes and negotiated1021 deliveries in the two Tests. It certainly rates as one of thegreat endurance feats in Test history.

No surprises came out of the New Zealand selection camp when the same team that trounced India by 10 wickets in just over two days was retained for the second Test starting in Hamilton on Thursday.But selection convener Sir Richard Hadlee, who gave the players a little tickle-up with comments about the lack of performance going into the Test series, provided a reminder that with a seven-match one-day series just around the corner there is no room for complacency among the New Zealanders.He said it was a “pleasing” bowling effort in the first Test, but he wants more runs from more of his batsmen in order for the side to achieve a more complete performance.Both teams have decided to stay in Wellington until their scheduled departure time on Tuesday.That should provide the Indians with a further reminder that had they been able to achieve more stickability at the crease in either of their innings, then they might have been attempting to bowl New Zealand out in far more favourable conditions later today and tomorrow.Wellington turned on one of its most majestic days today. There was barely a breath of wind on a sparkling, sunny and warm day that had the local populace out to take full advantage of it after a disappointing start to the summer.The New Zealand team for Hamilton will be: Stephen Fleming (captain), Mark Richardson, Lou Vincent, Craig McMillan, Nathan Astle, Scott Styris, Jacob Oram, Robbie Hart, Daniel Vettori, Daryl Tuffey, Shane Bond, Michael Mason.While India’s selection is likely to be made closer to the Test start-time, there is every prospect that Tinu Yohannan will be given his chance, probably at the expense of Ashish Nehra or Ajit Agarkar.

Western Province and Griqualand West will make their way to Newlands on 15 January to contest the Standard Bank Cup limited overs final after winning their respective semi-finals against Border and Boland.In East London the Border Bears made the perfect start, after losing the toss, when they had Graeme Smith and Herschelle Gibbs back in the pavilion inside three overs. Gibbs giving Makhaya Ntini a return catch without scoring and Smith mistiming a pull to midwicket off Monde Zondeki for three.Jacques Kallis and Gary Kirsten, on a difficult pitch, set about the bowling bringing up the 50 partnership in 81 balls and 56 minutes. Increasing the run rate the 100 came in 144 balls and 102 minutes, while the 150 appeared in 190 balls and 128 minutes.Kallis, having accepted a live from Mark Boucher standing up to Liam Graham when on 24, went on make 88 with Gary Kirsten getting another brilliant 103. Their partnership of 187, in nearly 37 overs, had brought Western Province back into the game.In the chase for runs a collapse followed with Western Province finishing on 228/7 after being 203/2 with four overs remaining. Only Kirsten and Kallis able to get into double figures.The wickets were shared with Zondeki ending with 2/37.Border made an even worse start than Western Province did. Five wickets down with only 35 runs on the scoreboard signalled their doom. Burton de Wett (13), Mark Bruyns (0), Stephen Pope (9), Mark Boucher (2) and Pieter Strydom (0) all failed as Charl Willoughby and Kallis took two wickets each.Tyron Henderson (39) and Craig Sugden put on 49 for the sixth wicket before Sugden and Laden Gamiet brought Border right back into the game putting on 64 runs for the seventh wicket.Once Sugden was out for a well played 50 in 63 balls and 92 minutes, Gamiet (33) and Graham (32*) fought hard but with the overs running out Border was bowled out for 205, 23 runs short.Kallis took the man-of-the-match award after his 88 and three wickets.In Paarl, Griqualand West decided to bat first and almost immediately was in trouble with Loots Bosman dropped off the first ball of the innings by Con de Lange fielding at first slip from the bowling of Henry Williams.The drop turned out to be expensive for the home team with Bosman going to score at better than a run a ball, going to his 50 in 43 balls including six fours and two sixes.Bosman went to 70 before he was run out with Griqualand West losing their first wicket on 125.Having just gone to his 50 in 81 balls Gidley had a big swing at de Lange only to succeed in lofting it to a delighted Williams at backward square leg taking a good catch with the visitors now two down for 140 in the 27th over.Building on the foundation that had been laid, Griqualand West found them in a very strong position at 243/6 when the 45 overs were completed.Pieter Koortzen (29), Brett Tucker (20) and Johann Louw (27) all contributed to the winning score.Charl Langeveldt with 2/36 was the leading Boland wicket taker.Boland, thanks to an ever-improving Chad Baxter (85) and veteran Steve Palframan (30), managed to cling onto a hope of winning, but with no other batsman able to get into double figures their hopes of reaching the final died a slow death, losing by 66 runs, after being bowled out for 178.Griqualand West had pulled off another match winning performance with the bowlers all sharing in the wickets. The only negative for the men from Kimberley was giving away 31 extras, something they will have to improve on before meeting Western Province in the final at Newlands.

Pakistan’s final practice session prior to Sunday’s ICC Cricket World Cup 2003 match against Namibia will be held on Saturday at 10:00 hours at the De Beers Diamond Oval, Kimberley.Pakistan captain Waqar Younis will later hold a pre-match press conference at the Stadium, at approximately 1200 hours. All media are invited to attend the press conference. There will also be an opportunity for vision and pictures during training (10:30hrs – 12:00hrs approx).Saturday, Feb 15: Nasser Hussain will hold a press conference at 1 pm (Meeting Room 2, Holiday Inn Garden Court, East London) ahead of Sunday’s match against Holland.England will practice from 2-5 pm at Buffalo Park, East London.The West Indies team will conduct a coaching clinic with the Easterns Academy under 19 players on Sunday 16th February 2003 at 14h00-15h30 at the Lords Cricket Ground, Mayet Drive, Actonville, BenoniThe players and management will be available to the media after the clinic.A South African media conference will be held at 13h00 on Saturday 15th in the Jacaranda Room at the Sandton Sun, Johannesburg.A free, broadcast-quality radio interview with Australian captain Ricky Ponting, ahead of his side’s second World Cup match against India tomorrow (15 February 2003), is available now on the Australian Cricket Board’s official online news agency,www.mediagame.com.au.

Gordon Greenidge’S dual role as a West Indies selector and a consultant with Bangladesh in preparation for the forthcoming World Cup is not viewed as a conflict of interest by the region’s governing body.If such additional duties, however, coincided with assignments for West Indies selectors, it could lead to a problem, West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) president Wes Hall has pointed out.Greenidge, the illustrious former West Indies opening batsman, was recently appointed Bangladesh’s batting coach for a pre-World Cup tour of Namibia and was not expected back in the Caribbean for the beginning of the Carib Beer Series which starts today.Bangladesh Cricket Board cricket committee chairman Mahbub was quoted as saying Greenidge’s appointment as a consultant would run until today, but Hall’s information was that the former Barbados captain would be unavailable for the first three rounds of the Carib Beer Series."I do understand the great consternation it will cause in some circles in terms of conflicts of interests, but I would say that as soon as Gordon gets back, we will speak to him on the issue," Hall said."The board feels that when you employ a selector, he is employed from one match to another or from one tour to another. If a selector therefore had a job in between tours, we cannot in all honesty command that he stays here unless you had him in contract."Greenidge, arguably the finest opening batsman the West Indies has ever produced, served as Bangladesh coach at the 1999 World Cup and was largely responsible for the recent development of their cricket that eventually led to them gaining Test status.He was sacked, presumably for making comments that suggested they were not deserving of the status at the time.Employed by the Barbados Government in the last few years, Greenidge was appointed a West Indies selector last June and subsequently contracted by Bangladesh a few weeks ago on a short-term basis."If it happens during the time we are playing cricket … if it is not a conflict of interest, it is something that we do not think can be tolerated," Hall said."We have to talk to Gordon. We don’t really want to go and slam him behind his back."In the absence of Greenidge and chief selector Sir Vivian Richards, who will be sent to the World Cup, the WICB has asked two members of its junior selection panel, Clyde Butts and Ezra Moseley, to fill in as replacements to watch matches in the opening round of Carib Series matches.

JOHANNESBURG, March 20 AAP – Damien Martyn is unlikely to play in the World Cup final against India because pain-killing injections will numb his right hand, making him ineffective as a batsman and a passenger in the field.Besides, Australia might be better off without him.There’s no guarantee Martyn will be chosen even if he passes a fitness test on Saturday.His absence gives Australia an extra bowler in the form of all-rounder Ian Harvey in a side already overflowing with run-raiders.Andy Bichel has a Cup average of 117 but he’ll come in at No.9.”I’ll be honest and see how it goes,” said Martyn.”I’ve got to be selected as well. If I’m fit I’ll make myself available to selectors and team management to see whether they pick me on the day.”I can pick up a bat, it’s just another thing swinging and hitting the ball.”I’ve had cricket balls in my hands, throwing them up and down and squeezing.”In that sense, I’ve had my hands around balls and bats but it’s a different story catching and batting in the game.”Pain-killers seem Martyn’s only hope of playing his first World Cup final but they come at a cost, according to team physiotherapist Errol Alcott.”They’re always an option but the trouble with injections is that you obliterate all the sensations so he mightn’t know where the ball is in his hand,” said Alcott.”You take away all that feeling. It’s an option but we don’t generally go down that track all that often.”Martyn and Alcott, who has engineered miracle recoveries before, like Steve Waugh’s comeback from a torn calf to play the final Ashes Test in England in 2001, have been working around the clock to ease the pain of the fractured right index finger Martyn suffered while fielding against Kenya last Saturday.”It’s one of those things you’ve got to take on the chin,” Martyn said.”It probably hit home at the end of the semifinal when you realise you’re in the final, and seeing the boys out there playing so well.”I’ve been a part of it for the last four years since the last World Cup final, so I’m disappointed but I’m still a part of it and I’m lucky to still be here.”There are a lot of guys at home sitting there watching – Jason Gillespie, Shane Warne, Shane Watson. I’m here at the moment. If I don’t play, I don’t play but I’m still a part of it on Sunday.”Alcott said: “I can’t do anything about fractures but all the soft tissue stuff we can deal with.”It’s only been a week so he will have some sort of pain, but I’ve known lots of players to play with fractures.”Martyn probably won’t be one of them.

A 35th consecutive defeat seems no occasion to be positive aboutBangladesh. But in the last two games, they have given signs of theBangladesh of old, which fought feistily and played with vigour. In recent times, as in the World Cup, they have looked incapable of even putting up a fight.

That would not have been so frowned upon had Bangladesh not been a Testteam. But after being outclassed in every international encounter in the recent past, they finally showed some spunk here, making their second 200-plus score in a row, and taking six Indian wickets after that. That the landmark of passing 200 should be so celebrated is itself an indication of how far Bangladesh had fallen.

What has changed? For one thing, Bangladesh reversed a recent trend in their selection; of focussing only on youngsters. Bangladesh age-group cricket is vibrant, and a policy of building a team for the future cannot really be argued with. But an abrupt transition can be counter-productive, and Bangladesh have thrown too many callow youngsters into the deep end too soon in recent times.

They dropped a number of their senior players for the World Cup, which was all well and good – it was time for some of them, like Aminul Islam and Naimur Rahman, to go. But Akram Khan, until he was called into the squad due to injury, was also axed, and gritty veterans like Habibul Bashar and Khaled Mahmud also found it hard to get into the playing XI. Mehrab Hossain, a 23-year-old who had made Bangladesh’s only one-day century, against Zimbabwe in 1998, at the age of 20, was also not in the plans.

This is not to suggest that these four men are world-class players, but they all have a quality that has been sorely lacking in Bangladesh cricket over the last few months – combativeness. Now that all of them are back, and others like Mohammad Ashraful are also showing spine, the team doesn’t look quite as pathetic.

In defence of the heavy weather that the Indians made of the chase, it must be said that this was more India A than India. Only three of the 12 men who played for India in the World Cup were in this side – and one of them was Dinesh Mongia.

Gautam Gambhir showed character in converting his start into a decent score of 71, but the quality of Bangladesh’s bowling and the benign pitch made sure he wasn’t tested. He has made bagfuls of runs in domestic cricket on pitches such as these against attacks of at least the same quality, so too much must not be read into this performance. He is at least getting a fair chance to show his skills.

Sadly, Abhijit Kale will not get the same opportunity. When Sourav Ganguly and Yuvraj Singh get back in the team for the next match, Kale will be back on the bench. When Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid return to the squad, he’ll go back to domestic cricket. He should have batted at No. 3 or, at worst, at No. 4 today.

Promoting Parthiv Patel up the order was a good move, though. It is rumoured that Rahul Dravid would like to get back to being a specialist batsman, and if that is too happen, India must find a wicketkeeper who can bat. Thus, Patel is not competing for just the wicketkeeper’s place, but also for the seventh batsman’s.

Amit Varma is assistant editor of Wisden.com in India.

Henry Olonga has revealed how he came close to backing out of his black-armband protest during the World Cup. If he had not been approached by Andy Flower, he would not have had the strength to stage the protest on his own.Olonga, 26, was forced into retirement after the tournament. He added that others had been willing to take part in the protest, to mourn the “death of democracy” in Zimbabwe under Robert Mugabe’s oppressive regime, but they were dissuaded from doing so to add potency to the statement.”I didn’t know if I had the strength [to go it alone]," Olonga told AFP. "I was wavering at the time. However when Flower suggested it after he had been approached by a third party I decided I would do it. We just thought it was the right thing to do. Not enough people have stood up.”Last week, Flower’s brother Grant revealed he had wanted to join the protest, but thought it would look as if they had bullied Olonga into it. More would have muddied the waters,” said Olonga. “I believe it added more credibility to the stand with one white man and one black man protesting.”Flower became involved in the protest after reading a newspaper in Zimbabwe. “He read some trite story on the front page," explained Olonga, "and on the inside page there was a story about some man having been tortured which was only a paragraph long and he felt that just wasn’t right.””We weren’t particularly friendly before but my conviction came from my [Christian] faith and I don’t know where his came from. All I know is we were prepared to make the sacrifices ourselves.”Olonga also praised England’s players, but not their governing body, for going out on a limb and boycotting their World Cup fixture in Harare. “I think more people could have taken stances, and the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) could have been stronger,” he said. According to a Channel 4 documentary, the Australians were asked to wear black armbands, and refused.Olonga said he realised there would be consequences and was warned that his behaviour was gone down badly back home when Zimbabwe travelled to South Africa to play in the Super Six stage of the World Cup. “I knew I would make a lot of enemies and there would be a backlash. That your phones would be bugged and you’d be followed and that always happens to people who dare to voice their dissent. However, during the World Cup it would have been very difficult for them to do something and my profile protected me, but when it declines there could be a backlash.”Olonga said he received an e-mail from Harare which alerted him to the huge problems which awaited him back in Zimbabwe. “My dad got a warning and he told me don’t come back. However the e-mail came from a different source who was a cleaner in a minister’s office as she had overheard him say ‘That guy Olonga thinks he is clever but we’ll get him when he comes back’.”Olonga went into hiding after the World Cup and then seized the chance to come to England to commentate on Zimbabwe’s two-Test series in England. He rejected suggestions that by agreeing to commentate on the tour meant he was endorsing it.”I have never endorsed this tour. I agreed to do it because the BBC and Channel Four were the first to help me get over here, and in any case more good can come out of this tour going ahead than bad.While Olonga yearns to return home he doesn’t see it happening soon.”Well the mix of the commentating, club cricket for Lashings and the music contract I am signing should see me here for at least a year. However I don’t see the current situation in Zimbabwe sustaining itself, maybe even just six months could see the end of the regime. Zimbabwe is full of nation builders with everyone working together it can be a great nation again, but at the moment it is in the mud.”

Somerset were left facing an uphill struggle if they are to salvage anything from their championship match against Worcestershire after ending the second day of the Bath Festival still needing 281 runs to avoid an innings defeat with all of their second innings wickets remaining.Resuming on 422 for 5, Andy Hall who was unbeaten on 30 overnight helped the visitors add a further 116 to their total before he was the last man out after becoming the third centurion for his team as Worcestershire were eventually all out for 538.The South African who was dismissed LBW by Keith Parsons after batting for a further twenty nine overs this morning, scored 104 runs that came from 115 balls, and included six sixes and eleven fours.There were two more wickets for Ian Blackwell today to give the slow left armer final figures of 4 for 131 from his 45 overs.The Cidermen’s opening pair of Piran Holloway and Mast Wood saw their first wicket partnership put on 40 runs before Wood was out for 8. Two runs later Holloway who had contributed 30 runs followed him back to the pavilion.James Bryant and Jamie Cox then seemed to have played themselves in and saw the Somerset hundred up before they both were out, Bryant becoming the first of Gareth Batty’s victims after he had scored 28 and Cox who was LBW to Hall for 37.Skipper Mike Burns followed shortly afterwards at which point tea was taken with the score on 138 for 5 wickets.After the break Blackwell scored 28 before he fell LBW to Batty, Rob Turner 23, Keith Dutch 17 and Nixon McLean was still at the wicket unbeaten on 35 as Somerset slipped to a disappointing 238 all out.Following on, Holloway and Wood remained unbeaten at the close by which time they had taken the score onto 19 without loss.At the end of the day Somerset coach Kevin Shine said: "This was not a good day for us. We just haven’t played the sort of disciplined cricket today that has taken us to the top of the table which was very disappointing, because conditions haven’t changed out there. They put together a formidable total and we should have done a lot better than the 238 runs we scored."He continued: "However at the close of play we have sat down and been very honest with ourselves about how things have gone today. We are top of the table and they are right behind us. We want to fight very hard and try to hang onto the credits that we have got ourselves so far this season."Meanwhile back at the County Ground in Taunton, Somerset seconds are also struggling to save the game against their Surrey counterparts.Chasing a formidable 600 for 8 declared the Second’s were all out for 248, with Antiguan policeman Anwar Prince top scoring with 129.Following on Somerset had moved onto 201 for 3 by the close, with Wes Durston unbeaten on 76 and triallist Ben Moore from Liverpool 30 not out. Earlier Cornishman Carl Gazzard had made 60.

England v Zimbabwe, 2nd Test, Chester-le-Street, Day One
Thousands of northern prayers were answered when Chester-le-Street’s first day of Test cricket dawned fine. The trappings were all in place: the countdown clock, the expectant media chatter, the local boy Steve Harmison champing at the bit to bowl the first ball (he didn’t, because Nasser Hussain won the toss and batted). Even Phil Tufnell, the newly crowned King of the Jungle, was there.The ground looked a picture, and the crowd was a pretty good one. All that was missing was the usual tension associated with Test cricket – that worrying feeling that England were struggling for supremacy. After the Lord’s Test, where Zimbabwe rolled over and died on the third day, the general opinion was that England couldn’t lose. That feeling probably contributed to the mid-afternoon wobble, when three quick wickets tumbled as Douglas Hondo was briefly accorded supercharged status.Normal service was restored by Alec Stewart (no change there, then) and Anthony McGrath – and even McGrath’s mum might have thought it a bit fanciful a month ago if she’d been told he would soon have a Test average pushing 100.There has been much talk of whether this Zimbabwean side is the weakest ever to tour England. Despite today’s showing with the ball, they are certainly in contention for that dubious honour. Only Grant Flower of the batsmen has scored a Test century, and even he averages less than 10 with the bat in Tests in England.I was asked before the first Test to nominate the other contenders for Weakest Team Since The Last War, and probably alienated half of New Zealand by plumping for the 1958 Kiwis, who were bowled out for under 100 five times in five Tests, and would have lost 5-0 if it hadn’t rained for days on end at The Oval. They could make nothing of Tony Lock, who took 34 wickets at 7.47 with his slow left-arm spin. That tour came in the middle of what looks at first sight to have been a great run by England at home: 3-0 against West Indies in 1957, 4-0 v NZ in 1958, an unprecedented 5-0 v India in 1959, and 3-0 v South Africa in 1960 – 15-0 in four years. The record was spoilt a bit by going down 4-0 in Australia in 1958-59 … some things never change.It might have looked good, but actually it was a pretty dire time. All four of those sides were terribly weak – even the West Indians underperformed despite having some great names on board. One-sided cricket is boring, and cricketwise the ’50s are about the dullest decade on record – that’s the main reason one-day cricket started with such a bang in the 1960s. I’m quite relieved to say that I wasn’t around at the time, but reading about those series you’re struck by the inevitability of it all. Tension was absent.And there remains a lack of tension about this match, too. It wasn’t a great batting effort by England on a belter of a pitch. But it’s still hard to envisage Zimbabwe bowling England out cheaply twice, or England not bowling Zimbabwe out twice, although it might well take rather longer than a day. In 2000 the Zimbabweans bounced back after a similarly chastening defeat at Lord’s and competed well in the second Test at Trent Bridge. But the main man then was Murray Goodwin, a classy cutter who cracked 148 not out. Goodwin scored 35 this week – for Sussex, not Zimbabwe. Andy Flower, Zimbabwe’s best batsman by a street (or maybe a Streak), was attempting his usual rescue act after his side lost early wickets. That side was Essex, not Zimbabwe (and he failed, possibly because he had half an eye on events at the Riverside).It’s simplistic to say this, because there are political currents, undercurrents and crosscurrents at work here … but if Zimbabwe want to compete at international level, they can’t go on losing their best players. Otherwise they’ll go on losing their Test matches.Steven Lynch is editor of Wisden CricInfo.