Sporting digest: Cricket

Sporting digest: Cricket

The former captain Andy Flower scored an unbeaten 101 to put Zimbabwe in a strong position on the first day of their three-day match against a Sri Lanka Board XI in Matara yesterday. Flower hit nine fours in 256 minutes to become the highest scorer for Zimbabwe in their three tours to Sri Lanka. He beat the previous record of 78 scored by David Houghton during the 1983-84 series. Half-centuries by Grant Flower, Andy's brother, and the newcomer Murray Goodwin boosted the total to 311 for 6 at the close. There will be no further play until tomorrow because today is a day of national mourning for the funeral of a senior Buddhist priest.