Outstanding Test batsman Andy Flower has made historyby becoming the first Zimbabwean and the firstwicket-keeper ever to go on top of the Pricewaterhouseworld ratings after his heroics against South Africa
Larry Moyo12-Sep-2001Outstanding Test batsman Andy Flower has made historyby becoming the first Zimbabwean and the firstwicket-keeper ever to go on top of the Pricewaterhouseworld ratings after his heroics against South Africa.The left-handed wicket-keeper/batsman moved two placesup from number three to the top after his 341 runs intwo innings against South Africa, the second best teamon the International Cricket Council Testchampionship.Flower’s two century scores of 142 and 199 notout against the Proteas in the First Test which endedat Harare Sports Club on Tuesday lifted his points to895, 18 ahead of second placed Australia captain SteveWaugh. Flower is now averaging 55.18 points while Waughaverages 51.87.Long-time world number one Sachin Tendulkar of Indiais now ranked third on 866 points and an average of57.18.Only four batsmen, Waugh, Tendulkar, West Indies’Brian Lara and Pakistan’s Inzamam-ul-Haq (verybriefly) have been to the number one position over thelast six years.Asked how it felt to be named the world’s leadingbatsman at the moment, a humble Flower said thatalthough he felt flattered, he is looking forward tothe next match more than anything else.”I didn’t know about that. It’s nice and a bitflattering but to be honest what’s important is howyou play your next innings.”The recently ended Test saw Flower make all sorts ofrecords.On Sunday he became the first Zimbabwean batsman toscore a Test century against South Africa with his142.The following day he reached another century in thesecond innings to become the first wicket-keeper andsecond Zimbabwean to score two centuries in a TestMatch.His brother Grant is the only other Zimbabwean batsmanto have scored two centuries in a match with his 104and 151 against New Zealand at Harare Sports Club inthe 1997/98 season.Andy’s 142 in the first innings and the unbeaten 199in the second saw him reach 11 Test centuries in 53Tests. This is a record by a wicket-keeper ahead of formerEngland keeper Les Ames (8) and current English ‘keeperAlec Stewart (5).Andy Flower ran out of partners in the second inningsbut helped Zimbabwe avoid an innings defeat. He wasleft stranded on 199, one run short of becoming thesixth player in Test history to score a century and adouble century in one match.He however, became the second player to score morethan half of his side’s total in two innings afterSouth Africa’s James Sinclair (106 and 4) againstEngland way back in the 1898/99 season.Flower’s game has improved tremendously over thepast 18 months and he is, no doubt, a worthy newmember of the exclusive club of batsmen to grace thetop position.This year alone he has won four awards. In July he was named the Federation of International Cricketers Association/PwC international cricketer ofthe year beating seven other nominees. In the same month he was crowned the country’s Sportsman of the Year.He was also awarded the Nick Benator Floating trophyfor the best all-round performance in the 2000-01season at the Zimbabwe Cricket Union annualprize-giving ceremony in the capital.On Tuesday evening he received the Extra Cover Cricketerof the Season award at a function held at a localhotel in the capital. The awards were based on votes submitted by ExtraCover viewers for the period between April andSeptember.