Zimbabwe A beat South Africa A to take the series 2-1

Zimbabwe A, so rather misleadingly designated, won the three-match one-day series against a genuine South Africa A team by 14 runs at Harare Sports Club, in front of a crowd numbering perhaps about 3000 during the afternoon. Seventies by Craig Wishart and Grant Flower gave Zimbabwe A a satisfactory total, while Ahmed Amla, playing his only match of the series, did not get enough support for South Africa A to challenge.

In the final and deciding match, South Africa A won the toss and put Zimbabwe A in to bat, no doubt hoping for early life in the pitch and perhaps a repeat of the moribund batting Zimbabwe A showed when batting first last Wednesday. Zimbabwe A, keen to win the series, brought Andy Flower into the team, along with Travis Friend, making the 'A' label even less appropriate for a team full of World Cup selections.

Wishart and Mark Vermeulen began positively, although Wishart might have been run out on 3, and the bowlers seemed to get little assistance from the pitch. They kept the score ticking over skilfully with ones and twos, together with the occasional boundary. The fifty came up in the 11th over as they began to accelerate and the South Africans became increasingly noisy in the field. Another run-out was missed when Wishart had 35; in the first match the South Africans had hit the stumps almost every time, but at Harare Sports Club they were strangely less accurate.

The stand was finally broken at 82, in the 19th over, as Vermeulen (38) tried to run Elworthy down to third man but only edged a catch to Graeme Smith at slip. The South Africans were desperate to dismiss Andy Flower early, and umpire Duncan Frost had to speak to Smith concerning his team's behaviour. Two off-side fours in an over from Smith brought Wishart his fifty but the South Africans got their major prize: Andy Flower, backing up too hastily, was well run out by Neil McKenzie.

Grant Flower nearly suffered a similar fate before he had scored, and indeed there were several indications that the Zimbabweans were taking the South African fielders too lightly. Otherwise Grant was immediately into his stride, carrying on from where he left off the previous day. Another big partnership at this stage would really have crippled the South Africans, but Wishart (77) finally departed, hitting a sharp return catch to Justin Ontong. Zimbabwe A were 161 for three in the 33rd over.

The scoring rate now slowed, and Dion Ebrahim fell for 9, caught off the top edge at short fine leg off Ontong. The unfortunate Guy Whittall failed again, unluckily playing a ball from Elworthy on to his leg stump. Streak (11), another not in the runs, was also out of luck when a ball from Morkel just flicked his stumps, and Zimbabwe were 216 for six in the 44th over.

The Zimbabwean total would have been formidable had somebody lower in the order been able to make a sizable contribution. Travis Friend (8) was run out going for a quick single, and briefly Grant Flower and Tatenda Taibu looked like resuming their match-winning partnership of the previous day. This ended when Flower was caught off a skyer at midwicket for 76 in the penultimate over, and then Taibu (17) fell to a running catch as he lofted a drive over the bowler's head. The total of 261 for nine was good but not overwhelming.

Smith and Jacques Rudolph got South Africa A off to a good start, helped by some wayward bowling from Streak and Douglas Hondo. The Zimbabwean new-ball bowlers have been most unimpressive in this series, which bodes ill for the World Cup unless Streak especially can fight his way back for form and find some adequate support at the other end.

The first wicket fell in a most unusual way. Taibu came up to the stumps for Streak, perhaps the first time a keeper has done so in a match of importance, and immediately stumped Smith (22) out of his crease to a leg-side wide. Shortly afterwards Rudolph (18) also fell, given out caught at the wicket off Friend, and South Africa A were 57 for two.

Amla was in good form, though, and thanks to the lack of pressure exerted by the bowlers the scoring rate continued at almost six an over. But then Zimbabwe fought back, with Hondo producing a better second spell, and McKenzie, who never looked comfortable, was trapped lbw for 6. Hondo and Whittall were at last able to apply a brake, making Amla and Ashwell Prince fight for every run.

Amla broke the shackles to hit Grant Flower for six to reach his fifty, while Pronce settled in and the score gradually increased and the balance tilted again. They added 71 before Amla (72) drove the erratic Murphy straight to long-off. In retrospect, this was the turning point of the match.

The wicket helped Murphy's confidence, he immediately improved, and within minutes Prince too was gone, bowled backing away to cut, for 39. Again the match was even, 86 needed with five wickets left in just over 13 overs.

Ontong (11) was next to go, trapped lbw trying to hit Friend across the line, and then Thami Tsolekile (4) was run out by a direct hit from Murphy. The later batsmen recognized a hopeless position and contented themselves with damage limitation. Dawson (9) was Murphy's third wicket, bowled hitting across the line, and Elworthy (2) was brilliantly caught near the midwicket boundary by Wishart. Albie Morkel hit well in the final ten overs, scoring 44 not out and reducing Zimbabwe's margin of victory to 14 runs.