LONDON. May 4: Zimbabwe shivered under the grey skies at | Canterbury on Wednesday. 1 leaving cold-victim Andy Flower under the weather with the tourists' poor batting display. reports AFP.
With eight days of cricket left before the first Test against England at Lord's. Zimbabwe captain Flower is concerned about the form of key batsmen Neil Johnson and brother Grant after an under-strength Kent attack bowled them out for 159.
Johnson was dismissed without scoring while Grant Flower managed just 10 runs, both falling to four-wicket seamer David Masters on his first-class debut.
Zimbabwe would have fared even worse had tailenders Heath Streak and Mluleki Nkala not contributed 47 between them.
It was Johnson's fourth duck in sLx innings, stretching back to the recent West Indies tour, and he has still to score a run so far in England, while Grant Flower recorded a zero in the opening match against Hampshire.
Johnson, one of the world's top one-day players, struck Masters to mid-on and Flower was taken at slip by Indian Test star Rahul Dravid off Masters, bowling commendably straight and using a good slower ball.
Masters. 22. claimed two wickets before lunch and a couple afterwards to post four for 44 from 18 overs - the same return as left-arm spinner Patel, who sent down 30.4 overs.
He was given his chance because of Kent's seam bowling problems, with England's Dean Headley (back). Martin McCague (ankle). Ben Phillips (back). Julian Thompson (cartilage) and Martin Saggers (thigh) all ruled out.
It summed up Zimbabwe's day when Streak (23) smashed a shot against the heel of Robert Key at silly point and the ball lobbed nicely for Patel to lake an easy caught-and-bowled chance at the other end of the pitch.
Stiiart Carlisle dug himself in making 14 from 74 balls before captain Matthew Fleming brilliantly caught him at short cover off a Darren Scott full toss.
Streak got some solace when he fired out Ed Smith lbw with the new ball before bad light ended play 10 minutes early with Kent 10 for one.
Former Australian Test ace Jeff Thomson arrived Wednesday as Zimbabwe's bowing coach for the first half of the tour.