Zimpapers Logo

ENJOYING THE MOMENT . . . Zimbabwe spinner John Nyumbu is mobbed by his teammates after getting one of his two wickets at Harare Sports Club yesterday. – AFP

Robson Sharuko Senior Sports Editor
ZIMBABWE’S last wicket stand lasted just 19 minutes in the morning yesterday, with the hosts adding only eight more runs, as Dale Steyn, the world’s leading Test bowler, completed his 24th five-for in Tests at Harare Sports Club.But as one of the two last men standing, debutante John Nyumbu perished for two, to hand Steyn his fifth wicket, the overriding feeling in the hosts’ camp was that their brave first innings show had been crippled by a wave of injustice.

For a team playing its first Test in about a year and against the world’s best team, Zimbabwe’s 256 first innings score looked a decent job.

But Brendan Taylor and his men know that they could have reaped more had big umpiring decisions, some so horrible, if not diabolical, they were an insult to the lofty standards that umpires should uphold at this level of the game, not have gone against them.

Given the marked difference in class, it’s Zimbabwe who would have prayed for any breaks they could get, any benefit of doubt, just to make them compete against an awesome opponent desperate to put them in their right place.

But it was the Proteas who got those breaks, and the world’s premier Test bowler Steyn, who got a helping hand from the umpires, on a day New Zealand umpire, Chris Gaffaney, making his Test debut at the age of 38, had a baptism of fire as controversy stalked his big calls.

Maybe the pressure of becoming the first Kiwi, to make his debut as a Test cricket umpire in 13 years, got the better of him but even the experienced Aleem Dar was not blameless and Mark Vermeulen, back on the big stage after completing a remarkable transformation in which his life appeared to have gone off the rails, was unlucky to fall, the way he did, after contributing 14 from 36 balls.

Records will show that debutante off-spinner Dane Piedt picked his first Test wicket with his first delivery, the first South African to do that in 108 years after Bert Vogen’s feat against England but Vermeulen should consider himself very unlucky to have been given out to a ball that turned sharply and could have missed leg.

Height, clearly, should have given him a life.

But that decision paled in comparison to Gaffaney’s decision to uphold the Proteas’ appeals that Sean Williams, having reached 24, had nicked one behind to wicket-keeper Quinton de Kock after driving at a length ball from Steyn just outside off.

Replays couldn’t prove the nick.

Richmond Mutumbami was another controversial dismissal, with Steyn again the beneficiary, but nothing could compare to the bizarre dismissal of Tendai Chatara, who came in to entertain and played some shots, only to see his promising innings cut short, after scoring 22 from 26 balls, when he was adjudged caught behind after he was beaten by a superb delivery from the Proteas’ pace spearhead that flew to the ‘keeper.

Even though there was a country mile between bat and ball, somehow he was given out and his unhappiness, at the decision, earned him a reprimand from the ICC after he pleaded guilty to a Level 1 breach of the ICC Code of Conduct.

The ICC said “Chatara was found to have breached Article 2.1.3 offence of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to ‘Showing dissent at an umpire’s decision during an international match.’

“The charge related to an incident in the 83rd over of Zimbabwe’s innings, when Chatara, after being given out caught behind, shook his head and pointed to his leg as he walked to the pavilion.

“The charge was brought by on-field umpires Aleem Dar and Chris Gaffaney, third umpire Jeremiah Matibiri, and fourth umpire Owen Chirombe. The fast bowler admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by Roshan Mahanama of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees.

“As such, there was no need for a formal hearing. All Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand and a maximum penalty of 50 percent of a player’s match fee.”

Maybe they should also have punished Zimbabwe coach Steve Mangongo, who also looked clearly shocked by the decision.