Wishart - superb 172 not out. (Getty Images)
Zimbabwe v Namibia
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Opening batsman Craig Wishart hit a record 172 not out in his first World Cup
match as Zimbabwe totalled 340 for two against the inexperienced Namibian
bowlers at Harare Sports Club.
Rain interrupted the Namibian innings at 104 for five after 25.1 overs, just
enough for Zimbabwe to be declared winners by 86 runs, according to the
Duckworth-Lewis method.
Namibia put Zimbabwe in to bat on winning the toss, and Wishart dominated the
Zimbabwe innings from beginning to end.
He announced his intentions by driving Louis Burger three times to the cover
boundary in the second over of the match.
His opening partner Mark Vermeulen, much more inhibited, scored 39 of an
opening stand of 107 before he drove a neck high catch back to the 43-year-old
left-arm spinner Lenny Louw.
Andy Flower, wearing a black armband as a silent and dignified protest against
the ongoing situation in the country, worked the ball skilfully around the field
for 39 off just 29 balls.
Wishart's second one-day century came off exactly 100 balls, and he emulated
Andy Flower in reaching three figures in his first World Cup match, although
Flower's was also his official ODI debut.
Wishart then threw restraint to the winds as he raced past the record
individual score for his country in one-day cricket, 145 by Andy Flower against
India at the ICC Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka last September.
Zimbabwe's previous record total in one-day cricket was 325, scored against
Kenya in Dhaka in 1998/99.
Grant Flower also put the attack to the sword with 78 not out, sharing an
unbroken partnership of 166 with Wishart.
Wishart faced 151 balls and hit 18 fours and three sixes.
Namibia's target was clearly impossible, and they suffered the added blow of
losing Riaan Walters to the first ball of their innings, edging a simple catch
off Heath Streak to wicketkeeper Tatenda Taibu.
But their remaining batsmen were determined to go out in a blaze of glory,
with number three J B Burger setting the trend with a daring 26 off 18 balls.
Fifty minutes were lost to rain, which came when the score was 74 for two in
the 16th over.
Duckworth-Lewis decreed a revised target of 325 off 46 overs, but even this
was not to be.
Zimbabwe took three more wickets, two of them to Guy Whittall, and they just
squeezed in the requisite number of overs before the rain returned and ended the
match.
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