Double-century for Kirsten as Zimbabwe wilt against South Africa

Gary Kirsten carved out his third Test double-century as South Africa amassed a mammoth 414 for one on the opening day of the first Test match against Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club on Friday.

After Shaun Pollock had opted to bat first, Kirsten and Herschelle Gibbs put on 256 for the first wicket before Gibbs was bowled by Travis Friend for 147. It was the only success of the day for Zimbabwe with Jacques Kallis seeing Kirsten through to his 200 as South Africa reached stumps without further loss. Kirsten is unbeaten on 202 with Kallis on 56.

It was a warm, sunny day in Harare, ideal cricketing weather for the ground's fourth Test match in six months.

South Africa had two debutants, pace bowler Andre Nel replacing Allan Donald, who withdrew from the tour due to illness, and left-arm spinner Claude Henderson. Zimbabwe, with three of their most recent pace bowlers injured, gave a debut to Douglas Hondo.

Zimbabwe captain Heath Streak found some swing in his first over, but Gibbs was soon under way with four handsome cover-driven boundaries when Streak and Friend gave him room outside off stump. Then, by way of variation, he twice whipped Friend off his legs to the midwicket boundary to give his team a flying start.

Then came a couple of superb pulls to dispatch short balls for two more fours, taking his score to 33 off the same number of deliveries. The 50 came up in the 10th over, as Kirsten took five boundaries off Hondo, and Zimbabwe were taking a battering on the ropes.

The flow of runs was aided by Streak's attacking field settings, but as Zimbabwe played only four bowlers their options were limited. Gibbs raced to 50 off 50 balls Left-arm spinner Raymond Price came on, and Gibbs soon chipped him over mid-on for four and six.

Price did find turn, though, and with successive balls beat Gibbs' forward defensive stroke and then had him edging just short of Campbell at slip, the ball beating the fielder to travel for four. Shortly afterwards he beat Gibbs with an arm ball but his desperate appeal for lbw was rejected, the ball going down the leg side. Thereafter the batsmen played him with more respect.

South Africa were 142 without loss off 28 overs at lunch, and the slaughter continued in the first over after the interval as Gibbs cut Streak for two boundaries. He continued to lash any delivery slightly off line or length for four with time to spare; even given the dismal showing by Zimbabwe's bowlers, seldom can a batsman have made batsmanship look so easy at Test level.

On 97 he just escaped being run out when he responded to a call for a quick single by Kirsten, Streak's throw just missing the stumps. A leg glance off Price brought him his third Test century, which took him just 118 balls and contained no fewer than 20 fours and a six.

Immediately following afternoon drinks, the pair broke the record for the previous highest opening partnership in Tests against Zimbabwe, 214 by Craig Spearman and Roger Twose in New Zealand in 1995/96 and equalled by Daren Ganga and Chris Gayle in Bulawayo two months ago.

Gibbs then got away with several false shots, fortune again turning her face away from Zimbabwe as a couple of potential chances just evaded the fielders. But, if a side makes its own luck, Zimbabwe did not do much for theirs on this particular day, with poor bowling and some below-par fielding.

Kirsten lashed Friend for four through the covers to reach his 13th Test century, having faced 138 balls, with 19 fours. Finally, at 256, Zimbabwe broke through, as Gibbs, apparently trying to nudge Friend to third man, instead edged the ball on to his stumps. His 147 came off 164 balls and contained two sixes and 28 fours. The partnership fell just short of South Africa's all-time record opening stand of 260 by Jack Siedle and Bruce Mitchell in 1930/31.

Kirsten survived two hard chances just before tea, but was back to his usual sturdy accumulation mode afterwards. Kallis, on 22, was caught at the wicket slashing at a ball from Friend, but umpire Tiffin rejected the appeal. Otherwise the South Africans continued their task with ruthless efficiency at more than four an over.

During the course of their partnership Kallis reached 3 000 Test runs and Kirsten 5 000, the first South African batsman to do so. A cut for four off Streak brought Kirsten to 200, and he survived to make an attempt on his own joint South African individual Test record of 275 on the second day.