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Flower steadies Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe captain Andy Flower led from the front with a gritty 86 in his team's uneven batting display on the opening day of the first Test against Sri Lanka yesterday.

Flower, in his second spell as skipper after recently taking over from Alistair Campbell, received his most effective support from Murray Goodwin (61) as Zimbabwe made 256 for eight at the close after being put in.

A fourth wicket partnership of 99 between Goodwin and Flower lifted Zimbabwe from 68 for three, but their staunch effort was undone as four wickets then tumbled for 45.

Flower batted for 265 minutes in which he faced 200 balls and hit 13 fours. He was out shortly before the close when he was caught, cutting pace bowler Pramodya Wickramasinghe, who ended the day with four for 44.

Wickremasinghe had given Sri Lanka the early initiative by taking two of the three wickets they captured in the morning session.

He dismissed both openers, Grant Flower and Gavin Gennie. Flower edged to Russell Arnold at second slip to be out for 17 in 13th over, followed in the 15th by Rennie being trapped leg before for 16.

Ten minutes before lunch, Neil Johnson hung his bat out to a ball from left-arm paceman Chaminda Vaas to be caught at second slip by Arnold for 17.

Goodwin and Flower brought Zimbabwe back to respectability before the balance tilted again 15 minutes after tea.

Goodwin gently pulled a ball from Wickramasinghe to Sanath Jayasuria at mid-on, then Aalistair Campbell was run out off the next ball.

Guy Whittal became another run out victim when wicketkeeper Romesh Kaluwitharana hit the stumps at the bowler's end after chasing down the ball on the leg side.

Gary Brent then prodded the first ball he faced, bowled by Muttiah Muralitharan, to forward short leg and Zzimbabwe had slumped from 167 for three to 212 for seven.

Flower found a useful ally in Bryan Strang (22 not out) until the Zimbabwe captain fell with the total 250.

UNI

Scoreboard
Zimbabwe (1st innings):
G Flower c Arnold b Wickramasinghe 17
G.Rennie lbw Wickramasinghe 16
M.Goodwin c Jayasuria b Wickramasinghe 61
N. Johnson c Arnold b Vaas 17
A. Flower c Muralitharan b Wickramasinghe 86
A Campbell run out (Dilshan) 0
G. Whittall run out (Kaluwitharana) 11
G. Brent c Jayawardena b Muralitharan 0
B. Strang not out 22
A.Whittall not out 0
Extras (lb-4, nb-22): 26
Total (for eight wickets): 256
Fall of wickets: 1-37, 2-38, 3-68, 4-167, 5-167, 6-212, 7-212, 8-250.
To bat: H.Olonga.
Bowling (to date): Vaas 23-3-75-1 (nb-10), Gallage 14-1-53-0 (nb-5), Wickramasinghe 17-5-44-4 (nb-2), Muralitharan 20-3-61-1 (nb-5), Arnold 6-3-8-0, Jayasuria 7-1-11-0

Sri Lanka: Sanath Jayasuria (captain), Marvan Atapattu, Russel Arnold, Mahela Jayawardena, Tillekaratne Dilshan, Indika De Saram, Romesh Kaluwitharana, Chaminda Vaas, Pramodya Wickramasinghe, Indika Gallage, Muttiah Muralitharan.

UNI