da brwin： A monumental innings of 194 not out by Mark Vermeulen, Zimbabwe’s openingbatsman, dominated the first day of their match against Sussex atHove
John Ward15-May-2003A monumental innings of 194 not out by Mark Vermeulen, Zimbabwe’s openingbatsman, dominated the first day of their match against Sussex atHove. At close of play, Zimbabwe were comfortably placed at 317 for 4.
Mark Vermeulen is congratulated on reaching his hundred
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Heath Streak won the toss and decided to bat, on a warm, sunny day by the sea. With the exception of Mluleki Nkala, who got his game of the tour in place of the rested Douglas Hondo, Zimbabwe played their probable first-Test team. This meant they batted down to No. 11 – ten of them have scored first-classcenturies, and even the last man had several fifties to his name. Sussexplayed a weakened team, captained by the former Zimbabwe Test batsman MurrayGoodwin.The pitch was slightly green, and the bowlers found some swing early on, butthe openers, Vermeulen and Dion Ebrahim, had few problems with the bowling.Vermeulen was soon playing powerful off-side drives as the Sussex bowlers often pitched a little too short. The sun shone, and the tourists enjoyed the pleasant conditions. Hopes of a major opening stand vanished though when, with the total on 33, Ebrahim hooked at a bouncer from Billy Taylor and was given out caught down the leg side for 14. Stuart Carlisle struggled to get off the mark, before finally cutting a ball from Jason Lewry to the boundary.Vermeulen became increasingly confident, reaching his fifty with a slashpast slips for four off Lewry, and then adding another two fours in the sameover. The ball travelled fast over the quick outfield and when a strokebeat the field, it usually went the full distance.The batsmen struggled for a while after lunch. Carlisle played and missedseveral times without edging, as he had done against Worcestershire, whileVermeulen showed some nerves while approaching his century, although he didclout Mark Davis for a clean six over wide long-on. Carlisle finally didedge one from Davis to slip, departing for 35 after a partnership of 114 forthe second wicket. Vermeulen was then on 96, and he reached three figures when he hammered a short vall from Taylor past cover for four.Most of Vermeulen’s eight first-class centuries have been big ones, althoughhe had yet to reach 200, and he showed no desire to give it away. GrantFlower was positive from the start, using his feet well and selecting hisshots with skill. Still, the afternoon session was rather slow – Vermeulenmanaged only 47, moving from 81 to 128, in the two hours.The pair continued their accumulation after tea. Vermeulen passed 150 with afierce square-drive to the boundary, and Flower – who survived a chancebetween keeper and second slip when 43 – reached his own fifty with a neatcover-driven four. He had two more escapes – a return catch to Taylor, andan edge which was floored by Andrew Hodd, Sussex’s 19-year-old debutantwicketkeeper.Late in the day Vermeulen made a bid for his double-century (his highest score is 197) with two magnificent back-foot straight-drives off Paul Hutchison. The dismissal just before the close of Flower – for 64, slashing Hutchison to backward point – and Tatenda Taibu, caught at second slip for a second-ball duck, put paid to that, but he survived to fight another day.