Streak bowls to Jimmy Adams

Tour match, Edgbaston, day one of four (close): British Universities 92-2 v Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe made a low-key start to their controversial tour to England in their opening game against British Universities.

Only 38 overs were possible before the rain came at Edgbaston.

British Universities won the toss and elected to bat and were 92-2 when play was halted.

There were only a handful of protesters in a crowd of less than 100.

British Universities opener and skipper Jimmy Adams was a dominant batsman and appeared to be in little difficulty against the medium pace bowling of Heath Streak and Andy Blignaut.

Durham's Delroy Taylor operated the anchor role but he too appeared to be at ease against an attack which laboured on a slow wicket.

Doug Hondo claimed the first wicket of the tour when he had Taylor caught by Doug Marillier for 16 to end an opening stand of 25.

Adams, the Loughborough and Hampshire player, continued untroubled by the Zimbabwe bowling but in the last over before lunch he uncharacteristically chased a ball from Blignaut and gave teenager Tatenda Taibu an easy catch behind the wicket.

Adams had scored 42 and guided the Universities to 80 for two at the first break.

John Francis and Ed Cowan could only add a further 12 runs without a further loss before a predicted heavy rain storm halted play in the 39th over.

Teams:

British Universities: J H K Adams (capt), I Dawood (wkt), D R Taylor, J D Francis, R A White, E J M Cowan, R S Ferley, J E Bishop, T J Murtagh, J A Tomlinson, T Mees

Zimbabwe: H H Streak (capt), M A Vermeulen, T Taibu (wkt), D D Ebrahim, S V Carlisle, G W Flower, B G Rogers, D A Marillier, S M Ervine, A M Blignaut, D T Hondo