Harare, Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe reached 64-2 at lunch on the first day of the one-off test against South Africa on Saturday after off spinner Dane Piedt took a wicket with his first ball in international cricket.
Piedt had Mark Vermeulen lbw for 14 with a delivery that turned in sharply from outside the off stump and host Zimbabwe was 33-2 at that stage at Harare Sports Club.
Hamilton Masakadza and captain Brendan Taylor, Zimbabwe's two most experienced players, stabilized the innings with an unbroken 31-run partnership. Masakadza was 28 not out and Taylor 19 not out, sweeping JP Duminy for a four off the last ball of the session after surviving a nervous start against the top-ranked South Africans.
South African quick Dale Steyn had removed Vusi Sibanda early for a duck to a catch by Alviro Petersen in the slips as Zimbabwe took nearly four overs to score its first run. Piedt justified his call-up by immediately dismissing Vermeulen, who himself was playing his first test in a decade.
Vermeulen's return to Zimbabwe's team comes after he admitted to arson for setting fire to two national cricket union buildings in 2006. The 34-year-old batsman was later cleared in a court case after arguing he was suffering from psychiatric problems related to being hit on the head by a ball earlier in his career.
Vermeulen struck one four in his 14 from 36 balls but fell to become Piedt's first test wicket. The 24-year-old spin bowler raced away to celebrate his immediate success.
Masakadza and Taylor took Zimbabwe to the break without any further wickets falling.
South Africa, which returned to the No. 1 ranking in tests after a series win last month in Sri Lanka, is playing its first test against its neighbor in nearly 10 years.
