HARARE, 22 February 2004 — Bangladesh batsman Mohammad Ashraful was only two runs short of his second Test century here yesterday when Zimbabwe captain Heath Streak scattered his stumps to record 200 wickets in Test cricket.
It was a joyful and at the same time an intensely disappointing moment. Streak has been comfortably Zimbabwe’s best player in the last two years or so, while Ashraful can take the most credit for saving his side on the third day of the first Test here yesterday.
Ashraful reached the very brink of a hundred in 181 balls and he hit three sixes as well as 10 fours in a forceful, polished innings. His one recorded hundred so far has been against Sri Lanka in Colombo. He put on 85 runs with Rajin Saleh (49) for the fifth wicket and 97 with Mushfiqur Rahman for the sixth. Rahman also made a valuable contribution, scoring 44.
Shahriar Hossain had added 48 earlier in the day when Bangladesh were in most danger. At the close, Bangladesh were on 313-9, a deficit of 128, after steadily moving towards Zimbabwe’s ponderously acquired first innings total of 441 all out.
Zimbabwe captain Heath Streak, who captured three Bangladesh wickets, one late on Friday and one early on the third morning, waited most of the day for his 200th Test wicket.
Clean bowling Ashraful could hardly have been more fitting. Streak’s nearest Zimbabwe rival in wicket taking was Henry Olonga, who will never improve on his 68 after denouncing Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe and fleeing the country following last year’s World Cup.
Streak has taken five wickets six times and is now seeking a seventh. He finished the day with 4-44. From fearing the worst — a follow-on — Bangladesh can think about saving the match, a prospect which may be remote but is far from unrealistic.
Lanka Consider Dropping Fast Bowler
Sri Lanka are considering playing just one pace bowler in the second match of their five-game one-day series against Australia today. Australia cruised to a comfortable 84-run victory in the opening match on Friday, a defeat that has prompted a rethink of the home team’s tactics on what is expected to be another spin-friendly pitch.
Fast bowlers Chaminda Vaas and Nuwan Kulasekera bowled just six overs between them on Friday. Middle order batsman Russel Arnold or explosive opener Saman Jayantha, both of whom also bowl off-spin, could come into the side in place of Kulasekera.
“We are having a look at the options to see whether it may be better to have another batter in the side,” said skipper Marvan Atapattu after a light team training session. “If necessary, Mahela [Jayawardene] could even bowl a couple of overs of seam at the start but we would have preferred it if he had been ready for that role.”
If Jayawardene did not open the bowling, off spinner Kumar Dharmasena would be the likely candidate to take the new ball. The final choice between Arnold and Jayanatha, who would be making his debut, would depend on where Sri Lanka wanted the extra batter in the order.
“The final decision will depend on whether we want the batsman to slot into the middle order or the top order. If we want a middle order batter then we will go with Russel,” Atapattu said. Australia held a light, optional practice yesterday afternoon. Fast bowler Brad William could be replaced by medium-pace all-rounder Ian Harvey or Michael Kasprowizc.
