Notebook Zimbabwe's reaction to World Cup performance Click here for more on this story Posted: Wednesday June 16, 1999 05:41 PM   Neil Johnson and the rest of the Zimbabwean team had a strong run in the World Cup by making the Super Six. AP HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) -- Going within a whisker of a first ever World Cup semifinal was a big boost for Zimbabwean cricket. David Houghton's team missed out only because Australia beat South Africa in the final Super Six and it had an inferior run-rate to New Zealand. Bearing in mind host England and two-time titlist the West Indies didn't even make it to the Super Sixes, it was a great performance by a nation considered the weakest of the nine test playing teams. But an editorial in the national daily, The Herald, while congratulating the team, called for more to be done to attract more home grown players, especially from the majority black population. Of Zimbabwe's 12.7 million people, only 70,000 are whites, with 20,000 Asians and 40,000 of mixed race. Yet whites constitute 90 percent of first class cricketers. The Herald noted that the only two good batsmen in the Zimbabwean line up had grown up and matured in other countries -- Neil Johnson (South Africa) and Murray Goodwin (Australia). "While everyone is pleased they decided to come home to the land of their birth, it would be folly to rely on a continual flow of child emigrants returning home," said the Herald. "A lot more still needs to be done especially in ensuring that the national team reflects the racial mix of the Zimbabwean nation." The Herald said that the team's success had attracted more people to the game by watching on TV. "There is a lot more interest in the game," it said. "Many who have never watched a cricket match in their lives before were glued to their television screens on the days Zimbabwe played." Gibbs still answering for blunder BIRMINGHAM, England -- Herschelle Gibbs is still being asked about that catch. Or rather the catch that wasn't. Gibbs' blunder against Australia on the final Super Six match on Sunday enabled Aussie captain Steve Waugh to survive and go on to a match-winning score of 120 not out against South Africa. Although he seemed to get both hands to the ball, it dropped to the ground and Waugh, then on 56, stayed at the crease. Gibbs, who also scored a century in that match, denied suggestions that he dropped the ball as he tried some form of nonchalant celebration. "It might look like that from the slow motion, and I know I do have a tendency of doing that," he said. But he explained that he barely felt the ball in his hand at all, because it had been numbed by treatment to an injury. "At no stage did I have the feeling of the ball in my hand, really," the South African opener said. "When the catch went up, although in slow motion it looked like I had control of the ball, I actually tried to catch it, and almost like my hand didn't want to close, or I couldn't feel the ball in my hand." Umpires named LONDON (AP) -- Steve Bucknor of the West Indies and England's David Shepherd will umpire the World Cup final at Lord's on Sunday. The third umpire is to be India's Srinivas Venkataraghavan and Ranjan Madugalle of Sri Lanka will be the match referee.   Related information Stories Notebook: Warne earns name of wizard Notebook: Twose shines for New Zealand Notebook: Anxious Zimbabwe; Twose mental test Notebook: Punyesh predictions; seven more for Murali Multimedia Click here for the latest audio and video Search our site Watch CNN/SI 24 hours a day Sports Illustrated and CNN have combined to form a 24 hour sports news and information channel. To receive CNN/SI at your home call 1-888-53-CNNSI. Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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