November 11 Monday 2002
Blignaut, Taibu keep Zimbabwe alive 

HARARE: Pakistan were 79 runs in the lead with nine second innings wickets standing at the close of the second day of the first cricket Test against Zimbabwe here on Sunday. 

Making 285 in their first innings, Pakistan bowled Zimbabwe out for 225, a lead of 60. But they lost Saleem Elahi for a duck in their second innings just before the umpires called off play for bad light and are 14-1, Taufeeq Umar scoring them all. Pakistan pacemen Shoaib Akhtar, Waqar Younis and Mohammad Sami gave their side an early advantage by ripping through the Zimbabwe top order.

The home side were 43-3 as Dion Ebrahim, Hamilton Masakadza and Alistair Campbell heralded a collapse with their dismissals. Pakistan also ripped through the Zimbabwe tail later in the day. But it was the middle order which held them up.

The Flower brothers Grant and Andy made 31 and 29 respectively to put the brakes on Pakistan. Andy was unlucky to be given out caught down the leg side when the ball appeared to have struck his thigh. He had looked to be well established for a good score.

It fell to the tiny Zimbabwe wicketkeeper Tatenda (which means thank you) Taibu and Andy Blignaut to keep Zimbabwe in the game with a 63 runs partnership of utterly contrasting styles. 

Taibu grafted through the afternoon for his 51 and he irritated Shoaib into firing down deliveries up to 156kmh.

By contrast, Blignaut blasted his first ball off Saqlain Mushtaq for six and another three fours saw the spinner out of the attack.

After tea, Blignaut decided he was not hitting out enough and 4, 4, 6, 3 saw him to 50 before he holed out next ball to Hassan Raza off Sami.

Sami finished the day with 4-53. It was mainly him who wrecked the Zimbabweans early on, claiming Ebrahim, Masakadza and Grant Flower. Shoaib captured three wickets by wrecking the stumps of Campbell and Guy Whittall, and Henry Olonga at the end.

Pakistan began their second innings badly with another failure by Elahi. His duck, added to two runs in the first innings, puts his place in doubt.