476 - What a Rhodesian run riot

Mike Procter's Rhodesians really dished out the big stick to Brian Close's Wanderers at Bulawayo yesterday. They thumped a magnificent 476 runs at around 80 an hour off the wilting Wanderers in temperatures over 35 degrees C.

Procter himself led the way with 99. He got there with a four off Brian Close, then went down the track to hit him out of the park but missed and was stumped.

It was the only mire of compensation Close had from a cruel day. It is not often that international-class cricket captains put the opposition in to bat and then watch the scoreboard rattle up nearly 500 runs.

Procter took 20 minutes to open his score and was slow up to 30. Then, in the words of Stuart Robertson, `he just went haywire'.

Five other half-centuries were pounded out before a delirious crowd at the Queens Club. Duncan Fletcher spanked 80 in an innings approaching classical proportions which set up the Rhodesian run riot with Stuart Robertson after Brian Barbour went early.

Robertson was the perfect partner for Fletcher, easing back slightly on the throttle but still punishing anything resembling the bad ball and helping himself to 58 polished runs. Peter Carlstein, recently returned to Rhodesia, weighed in with 74 cheeky runs, full of dabs and crushing boundaries.

But perhaps the most rip-roaring innings of them all was by the man who gave Leicestershire a big injection this last English season, Brian Davison. Davison lifted two sixes and punched a scattering of fours in cavalier style.

Jack du Preez banged the final nails into the coffin of Wanderers' morale with another half-century and Rhodesia went off to their hotel feeling like Mother Hubbard. They have so many batsmen they don't know what to do.

However, they may well get a taste of their own medicine today as Wanderers are also packed out with batsmen. Rhodesia must still get this team full of Test cricketers out twice to win. But whatever happens form now on, the South African province players are reading their newspapers this morning and sitting up a bit.

Neither of the Wanderers' opening bowlers, McKenzie or Greig, was able to keep line or length - and the spinners found the lifeless wicket of no assistance. Possibly the best bowler was Norman Gifford who toiled long and hard for his 2-118 in 30 overs. John Jameson, who came on during the `rush hour' when Rhodesia were chasing runs, claimed 2-12 in four overs.

Will Procter declare first thing tomorrow morning? My guess is he will - and he'll no doubt exploit the early life in the Queens wicket a lot better than did McKenzie or Greig.