Vermeulen's 194 sets up big Zimbabwean total at Hove

A monumental innings of 194 not out by Mark Vermeulen, Zimbabwe's opening batsman, dominated the first day of their match against Sussex at Hove. At close of play, Zimbabwe were comfortably placed at 317 for 4.

Mark Vermeulen is congratulated on reaching his hundred Getty Images

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-class centuries, and even the last man had several fifties to his name. Sussex played a weakened team, captained by the former Zimbabwe Test batsman Murray Goodwin.

The pitch was slightly green, and the bowlers found some swing early on, but the 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 slash past slips for four off Lewry, and then adding another two fours in the same over. The ball travelled fast over the quick outfield and when a stroke beat the field, it usually went the full distance.

The batsmen struggled for a while after lunch. Carlisle played and missed several times without edging, as he had done against Worcestershire, while Vermeulen showed some nerves while approaching his century, although he did clout Mark Davis for a clean six over wide long-on. Carlisle finally did edge one from Davis to slip, departing for 35 after a partnership of 114 for the 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, although he had yet to reach 200, and he showed no desire to give it away. Grant Flower was positive from the start, using his feet well and selecting his shots with skill. Still, the afternoon session was rather slow - Vermeulen managed only 47, moving from 81 to 128, in the two hours.

The pair continued their accumulation after tea. Vermeulen passed 150 with a fierce square-drive to the boundary, and Flower - who survived a chance between keeper and second slip when 43 - reached his own fifty with a neat cover-driven four. He had two more escapes - a return catch to Taylor, and an edge which was floored by Andrew Hodd, Sussex's 19-year-old debutant wicketkeeper.

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.