Patron's XI v Zimbabweans, Karachi, 1st day
Taylor and Taibu prop up Zimbabweans
The Bulletin by Faras Ghani in Karachi
January 14, 2008
Tea Zimbabweans 200 for 7 (Taylor 64, Taibu 46, Afridi 3-32) v Patron's XI
The Zimbabweans lost seven wickets in search of quick runs going into tea on day one of their match against Patron's XI. Brendan Taylor looked good during his 64 before he threw it away with a loose drive, but a quick-fire 46 from Tatenda Taibu allowed the visitors to reach 200 for 7 at the interval.
The day started off on a bad note. Hamilton Masakadza, captaining the side in the absence of the injured Prosper Utseya, was bowled off Samiullah Khan's first ball. However, Taylor and Vusi Sibanda shared a 51-run partnership to offer their side a stable start.
While defensive play was preferred against the opening bowlers, Taylor was severe on anything wide and loose. Sibanda survived a few leg-before appeals in between edges past the slips, but a back-foot drive off Samiullah to the extra cover boundary eased off the early morning pressure. Taylor then cut the otherwise impressive Sohail Khan past point for four before driving Kamran Hussain - who had an excellent Quaid-e-Azam Trophy final a few days ago - through the covers.
With the sun shining at full strength and swing fading gradually, Shahid Afridi, the Patron's XI captain, brought on legspinner Yasir Shah. There wasn't much turn on display either and it took a loose shot from Sibanda - off Kamran - for the home side to get their second wicket of the morning. Smashing Afridi over long on for the first six of the match, Taylor guided Sohail through gully for four and smashed him through extra cover for another as the bowler erred in length.
The post-lunch session, in a similar manner to the start of the innings, started defensively. Taylor and Taibu relied on plenty of singles as Sohail and Samiullah proved to be less effective without the early morning assistance. As Taylor reached his 50 off 111 deliveries, Yasir replaced Sohail and was rewarded in his second over of the spell. Overpitching, he drew a confident Taylor forward - after the batsman had ferociously cut Samiullah for a four in the previous over - and the loose drive was taken by Afridi at cover.
Any hopes of further success by the home side were thwarted straight away as Sean Williams, after edging Samiullah between slips and gully for a four, glanced a wayward delivery to fine leg for another boundary. Taibu, sensing Yasir as the weakest link in the bowling attack, swept him over midwicket for four before a similar shot fetched him a couple. However, with the next four deliveries reverse-swept - resulting in two fours, a dot ball and a leg-before appeal - Taibu made his intentions quite clear.
While Williams was particularly harsh on Afridi - driving him through the covers and sweeping him over midwicket for a six - a reverse sweep too many resulted in Taibu's dismissal - taken at slip off Afridi - for a 60-ball 46. Not entirely convincing at times, Taibu managed to put runs on the board for the touring side as quick wickets closer to the interval pegged the Zimbabweans back, and in serious danger of being bowled out on the opening day. Fawad Alam, although picking up a wicket in his first over of the innings, remained largely ineffective, especially with his length, as he was duly picked over midwicket for boundaries by Elton Chigumbura
Afridi, preferring himself over the faster bowlers throughout the session, remained the most effective and picked up three wickets in the session.
Faras Ghani is an editorial assistant at Cricinfo
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