Following their convincing victory at Bloemfontein at the beginning of the month, the South African selectors named the same team on 2 November.
[3][5] The Zimbabwean team was also unchanged from the match at Bloemfontein with key bowlers Heath Streak and Paul Strang both unavailable through injury.
[c] Writing in Wisden, Geoffrey Dean was of the view that the match began in "conditions overwhelmingly favouring the bowlers" and a combination of the conditions, the "helpful pitch" and "injudicious strokes" by Zimbabwean batsmen saw the home side bowled out for only 102 runs by lunch on day two.
Although the pitch was still helpful to bowlers, Zimbabwe's bowling were less consistent or effective and the South African batsmen more experienced – Kallis' hundred was described as "masterful"[3] whilst Boucher, who went in as a nightwatchman towards the end of the second day, scored 125, the highest score made by a nightwatchman in Test cricket at the time.
The Zimbabwean batting was described in Wisden as "dispirited and inept",[3] although Ward considered that the South Africa's bowlers were "dominant", with Donald taking Grant Flower's wicket with an unplayable delivery with only the second ball of the innings.