06 March 2005	Sunday	24 Muharram 1426

CAPE TOWN, March 5: Zimbabwe became only the third team in modern times to lose a Test inside two days when they were beaten by an innings and 21 runs in the first Test by South Africa here at Newlands on Saturday.

The hosts laid the foundations for the humilating thrashing by skittling out Zimbabwe for 54 runs on Friday in their first innings.

Only twice since 1945/46 has a match ended in two days - when England beat the West Indies at Leeds in 2000 and when Australia defeated Pakistan in Sharjah in 2002/03.

Zimbabwe at least put up sterner resistance in their second innings with a defiant innings of 72 by Dion Ebrahim and some late slogging by Andy Blignaut almost forcing the hosts into batting again - but the tourists were finally bowled out for 265.

Mainly due to Ebrahim, Zimbabwe put up a reasonably respectable showing on the second day after being thoroughly outclassed on the first day when they were bowled out for a record low total of 54 and South Africa raced to 340 for three in 50 overs.

South Africa declared at their overnight total but Zimbabwe did not capitulate as easily as they had the previous day.

Stuart Matsikenyeri and Barney Rogers put on 25 for the first wicket before Rogers and Ebrahim added 34 for the second wicket. Both opening batsmen fell to fast bowler Makhaya Ntini, who took two for 34 in a 10-over opening spell.

Ebrahim and Hamilton Masakadza then batted enterprisingly in a third wicket stand of 98 in 107 minutes.

In contrast to the first innings, when the Zimbabwe batsmen were reduced virtually to strokelessness, the batsmen kept the score moving and South African captain Graeme Smith had to modify the attacking fields he started with.

It looked as though the match would go into a third day before Masakadza cut left-arm spinner Nicky Boje to Herschelle Gibbs at backward point after making 46 off 78 balls with seven fours.

The rest of the Zimbabwe batsmen were unable to follow the example set by Ebrahim and Masakadza.

Brendan Taylor went down the wicket to Boje and hit him for four over mid-off only to be caught at mid-off when he tried to repeat the shot off the next ball, while Zimbabwe captain Tatenda Taibu fell to a good diving catch by substitute fielder Waylain September at midwicket.

Zimbabwe's fate was effectively sealed when two wickets fell immediately before tea.

Elton Chigumbura went down the wicket to the last ball of an over from Boje but was beaten in the flight and bowled. Ebrahim's fine innings was ended off the next ball, delivered by Charl Langeveldt.

Ebrahim padded up to a ball which cut back at pace and he was given out leg before wicket by West Indian umpire Billy Doctrove, although replays showed the ball would have gone well over the top of the stumps.

It was an unfortunate end for Ebrahim, 25, who made his tenth Test half-century without going on to a hundred. Ebrahim batted for 203 minutes, faced 153 balls and hit 10 fours.

Blignaut slammed six sixes, all off Boje, as he raced to 61 off 58 balls before being last man out when he was stumped by Boucher off Boje.

Scoreboard



Zimbabwe (1st innings) 54 all out



South Africa (1st innings)



G. Smith c Masakadza b Cremer                    121 



AB de Villiers c Blignaut b Cremer                98 



J. Rudolph not out                                49 



J. Kallis c Blignaut b Cremer                     54 



H. Gibbs not out                                   8 



Extras (lb-1 w-1 nb-8)                            10 



Total (for three wkts decl, 50 overs)            340



Fall of wkts: 1-217 2-234 3-328



Bowling: Streak 13-0-90-0 (nb-4), Mpofu 12-2-53-0, 
Blignaut 6-0-44-0 (nb-2, w-1), Chigumbura 8-0-53-0 (nb-1), 
Cremer 9-0-86-3 (nb-1), Matsikenyeri 1-0-6-0, Taylor 1-0-7-0



Zimbabwe (2nd innings)



S.Matsikenyere c Rudolph b Ntini               13 



B.Rogers c Boucher b Ntini                     28 



D.Ebrahim lbw b Langeveldt                     72 



H.Masakadza c Gibbs b Boje                     46 



B.Taylor c Langeveldt b Boje                    9 



T.Taibu c sub (September) b Langeveldt          9 



E.Chigumbura b Boje                             0 



H.Streak c Gibbs b Kallis                      12



A.Blignaut st Boucher b Boje                   61 



A.Cremer run out                                2 



C.Mpofu not out                                 0 



Extras (b-2 lb-7 w-2 nb-2)                     13



Total (all out, 75.2 overs)                   265



Fall of wkts: 1-25 2-59 3-157 4-173 5-183 6-186 7-186 8-214 9-247



Bowling: Pollock 5-1-14-0, Ntini 16-2-68-2, Langeveldt 9.3-3-27-2 (nb-2), 
Kalliq 17.3-7-40-1 (w-2) Boje 26.2-5-106-4, Rudolph 1-0-1-0. -Reuters