Proteas rocked by Zimbabwean seamers in Bulawayo

Zimbabwe stunned neighbours South Africa on the first morning of the opening Test in Bulawayo, picking up four wickets to claim the ascendancy at lunch. 

The newly crowned World Test champions were 90/4 at the interval, with Zimbabwe’s two seamers Tanaka Chivanga and Blessing Muzarabani dominating the Proteas batters. 

Debutants Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Dewald Brevis will resume after the break, with the former, who counterattacked superbly, on 44 and Brevis, who looked tense, on 10.

Zimbabwe’s captain Craig Ervine wasn’t displeased when Keshav Maharaj won the toss and chose to bat. The Proteas' stand-in skipper felt there would be assistance for the seamers in the first hour, but that his side — containing three debutants and missing seven players who won the Test mace at Lord’s — could make progress once the surface dried and the ball softened. 

But it was soon clear why Ervine was so relaxed about bowling, with Muzarabani, extracting movement and prodigious bounce to trouble both of the South African openers. 

Tony de Zorzi was lucky to survive the first over, and was dropped by Sean Williams off the fourth ball of the match at second slip. But the 23 minutes De Zorzi spent at the crease made for painful viewing. He struggled against the steepling bounce from Muzarabani and when Zimbabwe eventually switched to Chivanga after two overs from spinner Wellington Masakadza, they finally gained reward. 

An edge, off the 16th ball De Zorzi faced, was taken at third slip by Brian Bennett and from there the hosts dominated the rest of the first hour. 

Matthew Breetzke, after making a first-ball duck on debut in Bangladesh last year, would have been thrilled to get off the mark in Test cricket, but having played one lovely cover drive, then also edged Chivanga to Bennett after scoring 13. 

David Bedingham lasted just three balls, and like Breetzke was undone by the extra bounce from Chivanga, edging to first slip where Ervine took a comfortable catch. 

Pretorius arrived at the crease, and almost immediately changed the momentum of the South African innings, charging down the wicket to Masakadza and smashing his fourth ball for six over long-off. His next delivery he thumped through the covers for four and Zimbabwe were forced on the defensive by the teenager. 

A partnership of 32 with Wiaan Mulder provided some respite, but then Mulder, who was looking comfortable in what was just his fifth innings in the No.3 spot, was stupidly run out by Muzarabani for 17. He hesitated when called through for a single by Pretorius, for what was a risky single given the circumstances of the South African innings. However the lanky Muzarabani also deserves credit for reaching the ball quickly in his follow-through and then accurately throwing down the stumps. 

Brevis’ first runs were fortuitous — an inside edge past the stumps against Masakadza — but he, like his provincial teammate Pretorius, looked to take the attack to the Zimbabweans. 

Pretorius was the beneficiary of good fortune on 30, when an edge that was clearly audible on the stump mic wasn’t heard by umpire Richard Illingworth, much to the chagrin of the Zimbabweans. 

One of the fielders could clearly be heard telling Pretorius that he has “to walk for those”, but the youngster was unmoved and even shared his own thoughts with the opposition. Because of costs, Zimbabwe Cricket hasn't been able to install the technology needed for the Decision Review System. 

The hosts will also regret not picking a third seamer, having seen how much assistance there was for Muzarabani and Chivanga. 

The Proteas meanwhile have four seamers at their disposal, with Maharaj the only front-line spin option, though Brevis’ leg-spin might also be used later.