Celebration of the day
Zimbabwe had plenty to celebrate in the field and they were going to give every success its due, so when they had their biggest reason to make merry, they got the party started. When Shakib al Hasan edged a Chris Mpofu delivery to Tatenda Taibu, Zimbabwe had the major breakthrough they wanted and Ray Price and Mpofu unveiled the special jig they had planned for the occasion, the kind normally seen on a football field. They tapped feet, first right, then left, then right again and then embraced. The crowd was delighted and some of them even joined in every time another wicket fell.
Quick change of the day
Brian Vitori started off bowling over the wicket and didn't seem to be getting the same zip as he was on day two. He knew something needed to change. Without warning the umpire or the batsman, he switched tack to come around the wicket. A few paces after he started running in, he realised that he hadn't gone through all the motions, turned around, went back to his mark, and gestured emphatically to the batman that he would be switching to around-the-wicket and started again. It turned out to be a good decision, because he got more movement and, eventually, his third wicket.
Best buy of the day
With a bigger crowd coming in to the ground on the weekend, it was time for the entrepreneurs to show their wares. Apart from the usual culinary delights, with a wider than normal range of sweets for sale, there was everything from sunglasses to bunches of roses on offer. The best buy of the day belonged to the ZC stall which was selling shirts, caps, cricket balls and a ZC wallet.
The no-go zone of the day
While Tinotenda Mawoyo and Vusi Sibanda were batting Zimbabwe into a comfortable position in the third session, 12th man Malcom Waller decided he would try to learn how to emulate them. He asked batting consultant and former opening batsmen Grant Flower to give him throw downs in the nets. The pair, together with the team's fitness trainer, made their way to their training spot, only to find it cordoned off and the lines being painted. They asked the man who was doing the painting if they could interrupt him for a little while, but weren't allowed to, and had to go around to the secondary nets on the far side of the ground for their practice.
The noisiest fans of the day
Harare Sports ground only has a capacity of 10,000, and will be lucky to fill half of it on any given day in this Test match. What it did have today was some vociferous fans, who were causing quite a din. The open, uncovered stand, which was mostly deserted before today, had a group of supporters occupying a few rows in one of its corners. They had with them a few umbrellas, a couple of dance routines and some chants. As Zimbabwe batted, they became more and more enthusiastic, clapping their hands, doing pirouette-like turns and singing with all the melody they could muster. Most of the songs were in the local Shona language but the odd English word crept in.