Flower earns accolades from all-rounder great

Zimbabwe's Andy Flower, whose batting exploits against South Africa lifted him into second place on the Test batting averages for current players, has earned high praise from one of the greatest cricketers of all time.

South African Mike Procter, widely regarded as the best all-rounder in the game after West Indian Gary Sobers, described Flower's shot selection as the finest he had seen.

The left-handed Flower produced scores of 142 and 199 not out at the Harare Sports Club as Zimbabwe lost the first Test of two against South Africa by nine wickets, and Procter said his collective efforts were the best South Africa had encountered.

"I don't think we've seen anyone perform against South Africa like he has," Procter said.

"We've seen Mike Atherton saving the Wanderers test in 1995-96, and Devon Malcolm's nine for 54 to bowl England to victory at the Oval in 1994.

"But we've never had two innings as good as that scored against us.

"He seems to play every single delivery as he should play it - if it's up, he goes forward, if it's short, he goes back.

"If it's not hittable - a long hop or a half-volley - he leaves it. He's an incredible, he's a machine."

Flower failed by just one run to join an elite group who have scored a double hundred and a century in the same test.

QUALITY BATTING

His high-quality batting in Harare, however, lifted him above India's Rahul Dravid and Australia's Steve Waugh on the Test batting averages for current players.

India's Sachin Tendulkar continues to head the standings on 57.2, with Flower second on 55.2, Dravid third on 53.8 and Waugh fourth on 51.9.

Flower had already made history on Monday by becoming the first wicketkeeper to score a century in each innings of a Test match and South African captain Shaun Pollock also paid tribute to his batting.

"He played very well. One batsman scores half of what the team gets in both innings - he played superbly well to do that. He has his game plan worked out and he played well against us.

"He's got a hell of a lot of runs against us but, if you end up on top, you don't mind so much. If we had lost, we would have been really sick of his face."

Flower, who has played in 53 of the 55 tests contested by Zimbabwe, was disappointed to fall just one short of his double century.

"It's a pity I didn't get there as I was so close. But I had my opportunities and I didn't take them," he said.

"I thought Doug (Hondo who made six) did quite well to hang around as long as he did, so it wasn't bad to get into that position in the first place. It's just a pity we couldn't extend them further.

"I think they were getting a little frustrated towards the end of yesterday and then this morning as well.

"But they're a disciplined side and they stuck to their guns, because I think they were pretty confident of knocking us over eventually."

Mail Cricket Editor