An extraordinary fightback from Zimbabwe enabled them to pull off an amazingvictory over West Indies by six wickets
Andy Jalil16-Jul-2000
Murray Goodwin and Grant Flower – Record partnership
Photo © AllSport UK
An extraordinary fightback from Zimbabwe enabled them to pull off an amazingvictory over West Indies by six wickets. That defeat wiped out any lingeringhopes that West Indies might have been harbouring of reaching the final ofthe NatWest Series.A winning target of 288 seemed a tall order for Zimbabwe and despite losingthree for 79 and then four for 104, they stuck earnestly to their task. Tworun-outs of those four wickets did not help matters but man-of-the-match Murray Goodwin and Grant Flower took up the challenge and kept their side in the game during their fighting fifth wicket stand. It saw Goodwin reach his second century in limited-overs cricket from 130 balls, a just reward for his enterprising batting.Grant Flower played an equally brilliant innings and as their standprogressed, he took over the role of the major run-getter. He gave a superbexhibition of aggressive batting. While the two batsmen played their shotsall round the wicket, finding gaps in the field, West Indies’ fielderslooked on helplessly. The fielding became ragged and the bowling lost itsdirection as they conceded ninety runs in the last nine overs.Record partnershipZimbabwe’s unbroken fifth wicket stand of 186 is their highest for any wicket in limited-overs cricket. While Goodwin was 112 not out, Flower was left unbeaten just four short of his century as the reached the target with five balls to spare.Earlier in the West Indies’ innings it was almost like coming home for Sherwin Campbell. The West Indies opener had kept back his finest innings of this tour for the idyllic surroundings of the Riverside ground which was his home in the summer of 1996. That season his form did not allow him to demonstrate to the supporters of his county side, Durham, his true prowess so he made up for that today.Crowd basks in sunshineIn the presence of another fine crowd – though nothing like the capacityattendance for the England game yesterday – which basked in a rare day ofsunshine this summer, Campbell gave a marvellous display which brought him acentury from 133 balls. He had never played a three-figure innings duringthat one season he spent in the North-East, the best he was able to do thenwas to reach a half-century in a one-day match.Having decided to bat first, West Indies made full use of a fine pitch andpiled on the runs. The foundation for their innings was built quickly asCampbell and Wavell Hinds put on 86 for the first wicket after twenty overs.It was after Hinds had departed for 42, attempting another big hit to addto his seven boundaries, that West Indies appeared to take the game awayfrom Zimbabwe.It all happened during that eventful 173-run partnership between Campbelland Brian Lara. If Campbell’s innings was good and no doubt it really was,then Lara’s was simply magnificent. He was in superb touch and his knockovershadowed that fine innings of Campbell. In the duration of their stand,which was over 25 overs, Zimbabwe’s bowlers could find no penetrationwhatsoever. It was total domination by the two batsmen with Lara playing theleading role.Lara: most entertaining sightWhen Lara is in such form there is not a more entertaining sight in cricket, perhaps, with the exception of that little master from India, Sachin Tendulkar. All seven bowlers that Zimbabwe tried suffered today with left-arm medium-pacer Dirk Viljoen coming of the worst in terms of conceding runs. He did, however, hit back, dismissing both batsmen and Hinds before them. With the help of three towering sixes, Lara needed only 76 balls in his grand innings of 87 which the Geordies here in the North-East are unlikely to forget for sometime as, indeed, they will remember the partnership of Goodwin and Flower that brought about a most memorable victory for Zimbabwe.Beardsley: “Fantastic achievement”Taking a break from working with Kevin Keegan as a coach to the Englandfootball team, former England and Liverpool star and a great cricket enthusiast, Peter Beardsley has enjoyed the week-end’s cricket at Riverside.As a true Geordie, he is proud of the progress cricket has made and thedevelopment of facilities in the North-East. “A lot of hard work has goneon here in Durham to get the international game and luckily there is aweek-end of two great matches. That is a fantastic achievement,” he said.”Look at the turn-out, a full house on Saturday and another good crowd forthe second day even though England are not playing. All the hard work hasbeen worth it, it’s been a long road and a lot of people have also workedbehind the scene. For us in the North-East to have games like these is veryencouraging.Leading among the people who were instrumental in developing the facilitiesand bringing cricket of this level to the area was Don Robson who is leaderof the Durham County Council and former chairman of the National CricketAssociation, before it merged with the ECB.”Cricket – a great family sport”Beardsley said: ” Cricket is a family sport, a great sport, I have alwaysbeen keen on it, as a boy I played at Wallsend Cricket Club and in schooltoo. I wasn’t much of a batsman but I did all right as a wicket-keeper. Myboy now plays at school, he is a wicket-keeper. He is still young so hehasn’t progressed to club level as yet but I’ll encourage him.”There are young cricketers now coming into the England squad, that is goodfor this area, sport means a lot in the north-east and they crave for a goodcricket team as well as a good football team.”Beardsley went on to say:” The facilities here at Chester-le-Street caterfor the entire area. There is a boy, Nicky Peng, in Jesmond, from a schooljust across the road from my son Drew’s school and he has now playedfirst-class cricket for Durham this season, scoring 98 on his debut. Soit’s fantastic that we have youngsters coming through and that is the futureof sport.Youngsters should be encouraged”I would always encourage youngsters to take up the game after the waycricket has taken off in this part of the country. I would be genuinelydelighted to see my boy do well at either cricket or football. Even though Iwas a footballer, if he represented England in either I’d be ecstatic.”He then went on to say: “I am helping Kevin Keegan with the England squad,the full national side. We are doing O.K., we didn’t have a good run at Euro2000, but in September we have got the World Cup preparation to look forwardto and that is the thing now to get ready for.”I am glad to see a lot of cricketers who have finished playing are askedto join in for coaching and generally to give advice and so on. But infootball there are not so many places for ex-players. In cricket the Boardseems to encourage a lot more to join in to help which I think is a greatidea.Durham compares favourably with Test Match centresHe finally added:” People thought that because of the weather, cricketwouldn’t take off in this area but it has done so. We have a ground now tocompare with other Test grounds, which is fantastic for people like me wholove the sport and are able to come and watch.”The main aim is to get the five-day game here, I think it’s very closeafter the success of the one-dyers here. The people who decide on Testvenues will, I hope, make the right decision and bring it to Durham.”