It is now ten years since Zimbabwe first entered Test cricket and amazed the cricketing world with their performance against India
John Ward07-Nov-2002It is now ten years since Zimbabwe first entered Test cricket and amazed the cricketing world with their performance against India. They became the first new country to enter Test cricket by avoiding defeat; in fact, they dominated the match against India from beginning to end. Captain Dave Houghton became the first batsman to score a century in his country’s inaugural Test, apart from the very first match between England and Australia in 1876/77.The Zimbabwe Cricket Union is organizing a special celebration banquet early in November, to which all the eleven who played in the inaugural Test match have been invited. The only absentee will be Gary Crocker, himself a last-minute substitute for Ali Shah, who was injured on the eve of the game. Andy Flower spoke to ZCO about his memories of that inaugural Test, and also of the tour by New Zealand that immediately followed.Zimbabwe played in the World Cup competition of 1991/92 in Australia and New Zealand, losing all their eight matches but turning in some impressive performances at times. Their best match was their first, against Sri Lanka at New Plymouth in New Zealand, where they ran up 312 for four – Andy Flower batting right through for 115 on his one-day international debut – only for the opposition to win the match with 313 for seven.In July 1992 the annual ICC meeting took place at Lord’s, and Zimbabwe’s application for Test status would again be on the agenda. It was crucial, as it was an open secret in Zimbabwe that if their application was again rejected, many of the country’s top players would either retire or seek their fortunes in other countries, especially South Africa, recently returned to the international fold. Had this happened, cricket in Zimbabwe would probably never have recovered.Andy Flower said, "I remember that Grant and I were discussing leaving Zimbabwe and going to play domestic cricket in South Africa. We hadn’t planned anything, but I suspect that if we hadn’t got Test status we might well have moved on."Many, including some of the players, felt that Zimbabwe did not have the resources to succeed at Test level and a better path would have been to link up with South Africa again and rejoin the Currie Cup competition, even though that was unlikely to mean any Test cricket played in Zimbabwe.Andy Flower said, "My own opinion was that we shouldn’t get Test status, that we should try to rejoin the Currie Cup system and build our cricket from there. Those were my beliefs at the time. I was very surprised when we got Test status; I think we have been incredibly lucky to have played international cricket for ten years. We came into the game in this country at just the right time for us."However Dave Ellman-Brown, who had just taken over as president of the Zimbabwe Cricket Union, had launched a tremendous diplomatic offensive to persuade the other Test-playing nations to admit Zimbabwe to the top level. So convincingly did he argue that only England refused to support Zimbabwe’s application, and they abstained. It was thanks to his vision and energy that Zimbabwe achieved Test status and survived as a viable cricketing entity; he proved to be the right man in the right place at the right time – as indeed did Andy Flower as a player."I think I was very lucky in that I only started playing proper international cricket at the age of 24," he said. "I had done a lot of the groundwork already in playing first-class and club cricket, and some of the youngsters these days are thrown right in at the deep end without that groundwork in first-class cricket or plying their trade in England or other places."Things moved swiftly after that vital ICC meeting. India, one of Zimbabwe’s leading supporters, were eager for the honour of playing in the inaugural Test, and this was arranged for three months after that crucial ICC meeting, in October 1992. New Zealand also agreed to stop over on their way to Sri Lanka.Despite his original feelings, Andy Flower felt thrilled at the prospect of playing Test cricket for Zimbabwe. "To play against the best in the world is exactly what you want to be doing," he said. "We had been handed this opportunity to do it. It was very hard sometimes because we were getting beaten most of the time, and that makes it tough to carry on persevering – but it is an honour to carry on playing against the best in the world."Zimbabwe were to do better, on the whole, in their early Tests than they often did in later years; it was not until they first played in Sri Lanka in 1996/97, for their 17th Test match, that they were really overwhelmed. Andy Flower said, "I think part of the reason is that we had experienced players in those days, as opposed to youngsters thrown in at the deep end; we had guys like John Traicos, Dave Houghton, Malcolm Jarvis and Kevin Arnott to hold things together – experienced first-class cricketers. I know they didn’t play for long, but while we had them they were a steadying influence. Certainly that was my memory of them as a young cricketer."Also I think some of the standards of international cricket have improved over the last ten years, and it’s a harder school now. One-day cricket is a more aggressive game by a long way, and standards all round have improved in one-day cricket. Test cricket I think has become more aggressive too, so we’re not only trying to hold our own, we’re also trying to improve to keep up with these other teams, let alone catch up."I remember it being a very nervous build-up to the Inaugural Test," he continued. "John Hampshire was our coach and he was a big influence on all of us. He emphasized the basics all the time, whether those basics were catching everything that came straight to us, taking a certain percentage of the half-chances, batting for time, making sure your footwork was simple but correct: when you had to get forward, get forward into a solid position, and when you had to get back and across do it; leave the ball, and bat for little sessions – I’m sure you’ll hear most of the batsmen say similar things. He just kept drumming this into people. Those are some of the basics that should be revisited all the time by international cricketers."John Hampshire, former Yorkshire and England cricketer and later international umpire, certainly deserves much of the credit for Zimbabwe’s remarkable performances in their early Tests. Kevin Arnott remembers how he identified with the spirit almost of desperation among the Zimbabwe players on the eve of that inaugural Test, and could tell of the time when he himself made his Test debut against West Indies in 1969, and responded with a vital century after coming in with England in some difficulty. So inspired were the Zimbabwe players that they went in the next day and responded with 456.Inaugural Test, v India, at Harare Sports Club; 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 October 1992. ZIMBABWE 456 (G W Flower 82, D L Houghton 121, A Flower 59; M Prabhakar 3/66, J Srinath 3/89, A R Kumble 3/79) and 146/4 dec. INDIA 307 (S V Manjrekar 104, N Kapil Dev 60; M G Burmester 3/78, A J Traicos 5/86). Match drawn.The day before the match, Andy Flower remembers "doing various interviews and having a look at the pitch, having a light practice – and then it was just a wonderful start to Test cricket for us. Grant and Kevin Arnott gave us such a good opening start, and to get 450 in our first Tests innings was sensational. Then we had them under pressure; we were pushing them to the follow-on, and then Kapil Dev came out and blazed a quick 60."Before the start of the match the teams lined up on the field while the national anthems for both countries were played, a ceremony that perhaps sadly has not been repeated. The weather was hot and sunny, ideal for cricket. Zimbabwe won the toss and were happy to bat first on what looked an excellent batting pitch.Kevin Arnott faced Zimbabwe’s first ball in Test cricket as Kapil Dev ran in from the City (southern) end of the ground. He turned it neatly off his legs for a single down to fine leg and Zimbabwe were off the mark immediately.The Indian attack also contained Manoj Prabhakar, who had given Zimbabwe some serious problems on his previous visit with the Young Indian team several years earlier, but he was unable to make an impression this time. With Kapil Dev past his best, Javagal Srinath the fastest of the three pacemen but at the start of his international career, as was Anil Kumble, the Indian attack could get little out of the pitch. Still, Zimbabwe’s batsmen could well have succumbed to nerves, but the gallant opening pair held firm, with dogged determination rather than memorable strokeplay.They put on exactly 100 together in 220 minutes before Arnott, his concentration perhaps disturbed by afternoon drinks, was caught at square leg for 40. He was replaced by Alistair Campbell, who batted with more aggression in the company of his great friend Grant Flower. He had just turned 20 but showed typical nonchalance and the ability to rise to the big occasion as he scored 45."I remember Grant Flower being unlucky to be given out caught behind for 82," said his brother Andy. "That was gut-wrenching really, because he would have been the first Zimbabwean to score a Test century. Anyway, Dave Houghton took that honour later on; he batted superbly. I remember just playing very tight cricket and scratching away to get nearly 60, but I was very proud to get those runs. I was in overnight, and I thought, `Hell, I’ve got a chance to get a hundred here,’ but I got out very early the next morning."Dave Houghton, protected by night-watchman Mark Burmester, did not bat until the second morning, but he soon settled down. His century took just over five hours, a historic innings, as he also became at 35 the oldest batsman to score a century on his Test debut, a fine reward for a great servant of Zimbabwe cricket over the years.Zimbabwe batted out their innings for 456 in almost 14 hours. India responded with grim defence while John Traicos, the only Zimbabwean with Test experience, weaved his web around their batsmen. His pre-eminence represented a change of policy for Zimbabwe; they had expected the burly Eddo Brandes to be their strike bowler, but he broke down with a serious leg injury after only two overs and Traicos had to take over as the mainstay of the attack.India slumped to 101 for five, at a scoring rate of less than two an over, but Sanjay Manjrekar was still there. The great Sachin Tendulkar failed to score, Traicos holding a low return catch, and captain Mohammad Azharuddin was superbly held in the gully by Grant Flower off the same bowler."One clear memory I have is of watching Sanjay Manjrekar bat," Andy Flower recalled. "I thought it was wonderful to watch him play, this very short guy with what I thought was a perfect defensive technique. I thought, `Gee, I’m going to copy this guy,’ and for a number of years after that, whenever I felt I wanted to improve my defensive technique, I pictured Sanjay Manjrekar playing in that Test match. He did play very defensively, one of the slowest Test centuries ever, but it was great for me to watch and a real learning experience to visualize this defensive technique, although he was a right-hander, and copy it."It has been reported that Dickie Bird, umpiring in this Test as the first third-country umpire to appear under National Grid sponsorship, suggested that Zimbabwe might have forced India to follow on and won this Test had they allowed Traicos to continue to bowl against Kapil Dev instead of taking the second new ball. As it was, Kapil attacked the pace bowlers and later wicket-keeper Kiran More scored 41 so the follow-on was saved with four wickets down, just before the end of the fourth day. This condemned the match to a draw, but very much in Zimbabwe’s favour.Quite possibly the Indians were overconfident going into the match, but they played it in sporting spirit. "Generally the Indians are some of the friendliest guys you could ever meet," was Andy Flower’s opinion. "Very nice people, quiet, well-spoken, well-mannered, though obviously very excitable on the field."One-day international, v India, at Harare Sports Club; 25 October 1992. INDIA 239 (49.4 overs) (S V Manjrekar 70; G J Crocker 4/26). ZIMBABWE 209 (49.1 overs) (A Flower 62, G J Crocker 50; J Srinath 3/35). India won by 30 runs.A single one-day international was played between the two teams before India moved on to South Africa. India won by a mere 30 runs, a good performance by the inexperienced Zimbabweans, but the only times they looked in with a chance of victory was at the start of both innings. When India batted after Zimbabwe put them in, they lost both openers with only a single on the board, and then Andy and Grant Flower replied with an opening partnership of 63. But thereafter only Gary Crocker, with a fifty on his one-day international debut to follow his four Indian wickets, contributed much to the total."I remember Azhar and Sachin getting out to big shots (both caught by David Brain in the deep) and wondering, `Why the hell are they playing those shots?’" recalled Andy Flower. "And then when we were batting my clearest memory was being crapped on by John Hampshire after the game. I scored 62 off 104 balls, and he berated me for putting too much pressure on the other batsmen by scoring too slowly. I was really upset about that whole situation, but can understand it now, being a more experienced international cricketer, why he felt that way."Zimbabwe’s cricketers had no time to catch their breath when the New Zealanders arrived in the country. Andy Flower thought it was a good thing, though, as the players had just had the excitement of the country’s inaugural Test match and were ready for more.Unfortunately against New Zealand they were to experience the more unpleasant side of Test cricket. "It was a very hard tour for us," said Andy Flower, "because the New Zealanders were the worst sledgers I had ever come across; I couldn’t believe it."In earlier years, New Zealand had earned a reputation as being perhaps the most pleasant and sporting team to play international cricket. They had enjoyed success during the 1980s with a good team built around the great Sir Richard Hadlee and at one stage were probably second only to the great West Indian team of that era. But in 1990 Hadlee retired, and with him several other stalwarts of that side, including the present coach of India, John Wright. Martin Crowe succeeded Wright as captain, a great batsman with a greatly weakened team, and probably felt under a lot of pressure. It was sad that he should earn himself and his team such a bad reputation in Zimbabwe."I think his state of mind at the time wasn’t ideal," said Andy Flower. "I think even he’d admit that. It seemed he was in an aggressive, even bitter, state of mind. It was a terrible series for sledging, but I think they were under a lot of pressure to beat us, the youngest, least experienced and weakest Test nation, and I think he felt that pressure."I wouldn’t have described the Kiwis as nice, like the Indians, but my views have definitely mellowed as I got to know some of them a lot better, and they’re good blokes who play hard aggressive cricket on the field."First one-day international, v New Zealand, at Bulawayo Athletic Club; 31 October 1992. NEW ZEALAND 244/7 (50 overs) (A H Jones 68; G W Flower 3/39). ZIMBABWE 222/9 (50 overs) (M H Dekker 79; D N Patel 3/26). New Zealand won by 22 runs.First Test, v New Zealand, at Bulawayo Athletic Club; 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 November 1992. NEW ZEALAND 325/3 dec (M J Greatbatch 87, R T Latham 119, A H Jones 67*) and 222/5 dec (M J Greatbatch 88; M P Jarvis 3/38). ZIMBABWE 219 (A Flower 81; D N Patel 6/113) and 197/1 (K J Arnott 101*). Match drawn."In the Test matches there was huge sledging," Andy Flower recalled. "There was a very boring draw in Bulawayo, where the facilities were very poor; the covering of the outfield, the square and the bowlers’ run-ups was very ordinary. We’d had some rain, and the abiding memory is of Martin Crowe moaning and carrying on about `the worst ground in the world’, I think he described it."But we had a very comfortable draw against them. Kevin Arnott scored a hundred, which was great to watch. I remember getting 81 in the first innings and didn’t bat in the second, and again I had thought this was a great chance to get a hundred. But then the left-arm spinner Mark Haslam took a brilliant one-handed catch at square leg, and my hopes were dashed."Second Test, v New Zealand, at Harare Sports Club; 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 November 1992. NEW ZEALAND 335 (M J Greatbatch 55, M D Crowe 140, K R Rutherford 74; D H Brain 3/49) and 262/5 dec (M D Crowe 61, K R Rutherford 89, D N Patel 58*). ZIMBABWE 283/9 dec (K J Arnott 68, A D R Campbell 52, A J Pycroft 60; M L Su’a 5/85) and 137 (D N Patel 6/50). New Zealand won by 177 runs."The Second Test is probably one of the biggest regrets I’ve had in cricket," Andy Flower recalled, "We played some reasonable cricket; again, watching Martin Crowe bat was something special, as he got a hundred. Then they set us about 300 to win in less than a day, on the last day."I remember John Hampshire and Dave Houghton, coach and captain, telling us that we were going to go for this target, and I couldn’t believe it because I thought 300 in less than a day, on a Harare Sports Club pitch, with a very heavy outfield, was unrealistic. I honestly believe they felt the pressure of Martin Crowe’s constant moaning about us playing negative cricket, and I think we were conned into chasing the target."They knocked us over really easily in the end, at about teatime on the last afternoon. Guys had gone in and played big shots, a couple of them caught on the boundary, a couple caught in the slips having huge hits outside off – it was silly cricket, and very disappointing to lose our first Test. I remember being very downhearted afterwards."I don’t think they had a good bowling attack, to be honest. Murphy Su’a was fairly quick, but inaccurate; Willie Watson was just a steady little seamer; Dion Nash a good away-swing bowler. Then I thought Patel was a good off-spinner, but nothing special, and their left-arm spinner Haslam was fairly ordinary, no huge mystery about him. In reality it was a nice gentle way for us to be introduced to Test cricket."Then we had the incident of Martin Crowe jumping on top of the Beverley tent and taking down the banner that was up there, which said, merely in jest, `Zimbabwe the only unbeaten Test nation’. He dragged it down with much glee written all over his face. The incident itself didn’t cause much hostility, but there was definitely a hostile atmosphere throughout that tour.Second one-day international, v New Zealand, at Harare Sports Club; 8 November 1992. ZIMBABWE 271/6 (50 overs) (A Flower 56, G W Flower 63, D L Houghton 50, M H Dekker 55). NEW ZEALAND 272/6 (46.5 overs) (M J Greatbatch 55, M D Crowe 94; E A Brandes 3/74). New Zealand won by four wickets."The only outstanding bit about the one-dayers was watching Martin Crowe bat," said Andy Flower. "I thought he was a superb cricketer. Also Dipak Patel, the off-spinner, opened the bowling in the second match. I was opening the batting, and Grant Flower took him on up front, and that was quiet exciting. It was soon after the World Cup where they had used the spinner up front, and they tried it here but it didn’t work so well; we got on top of him straight away. The one-dayers were pretty ordinary."