This season began
with Zimbabwe on the crest of a
wave as far as one-day cricket
was concerned, although less
certain in the first-class game.
The country was looking towards
Test status, and the Zimbabwe
Cricket Union, continuing their
enterprising policies, arranged
for strong Australian and English
teams to visit the country. They
were also looking towards the
1986 ICC Trophy competition in
England, as the doorway to the
next World Cup if they won. Dave
Houghton had now taken over as
captain after the resignation of
Andy Pycroft. Houghton had the
ability to 'read' a game superbly
in the middle, but found more
difficulty in communicating with
his players and inspiring them as
captain, in contrast to his later
success as coach.
This season,
however, proved to be something
of a watershed. The seeds of the
depression in Zimbabwe cricket
which would last, with occasional
periods of relief, until the
granting of Test status, began to
germinate. The England B tour,
which had been so eagerly
awaited, was arbitrarily
cancelled by the Zimbabwean
government due to the inclusion
in the England team of a few
players with South African
connections. In England, the
Zimbabwe Cricket Union was
unfairly blamed for this, when
they were just as much the
victims of political interference
and were powerless to do anything
about the situation.
At almost the same
time Zimbabwe cricket was dealt
another serious blow by its own
government when all-rounder Kevin
Curran was declared ineligible to
represent the country. Dual
citizenship had just been
abolished and the government had
decided that only Zimbabwe
passport-holders should represent
the country in future. Curran
chose to retain his Irish
passport, as to surrender it
would have cost him his career as
a Gloucestershire professional.
Shortly afterwards, Graeme Hick,
widely acknowledged as a batsman
of genuine world class, decided
that his cricketing future lay in
England and abruptly departed
from the country which had given
him every possible encouragement
and support, even to the extent
of helping him to play county
cricket. Similar and related
setbacks were to cause further
problems in the future, and they
were difficulties that Zimbabwe
cricket could ill afford.
The season began
promisingly, with little hint of
the setbacks ahead. The Young
Australian team, led by Robbie
Kerr, provided strong opposition.
Their team contained such players
as Steve Waugh, Dean Jones and
Bruce Reid. The programme,
consisting of two three-day
first-class matches and five
one-day matches, revealed the
course Zimbabwe cricket was
taking, and the fact that
Zimbabwe won the one-day series
5-0, yet lost 1-0 in the
first-class matches, was also
indicative of the skills on which
the country's cricketers were
concentrating.
A
result in three days on the
placid Harare Sports Club pitch
could only be obtained if one
team's batting failed, and
Zimbabwe's did so in the second
match, although they were the
victims of a brilliant spell of
fast-medium seam bowling by Dave
Gilbert. They had themselves
taken a significant first-innings
lead in the first match, but were
unable to press it home. In the
one-day matches they continued
their run of successes, although
it took fine innings from Iain
Butchart in the first match and
Peter Rawson in the second to
take their team home. They
dominated the three final
matches, which brought their
tally of consecutive one-day
victories to eighteen.
The Irish cricket
team paid a brief visit to
Zimbabwe in January, the
highlight of which was a
memorable innings of 309 by
Graeme Hick in a three-day match
which was not designated
first-class.
The remainder of the
season, after the cancellation of
the England tour, was something
of an anticlimax. India, after
promising to send a strong B
team, failed to do so, and the
fact that Zimbabwe received any
visitors at all was due to the
efforts of Bob Radford, executive
director of the New South Wales
Cricket Association, who
responded to a telephone call
from Harare by arranging the
visit of the state side within
three days. Although under
strength and captained by their
wicket-keeper Greg Dyer instead
of normal captain Dirk Wellham,
the New South Wales team played
good hard cricket. The Zimbabwe
team and public, after all the
uncertainty and disappointment,
responded without enthusiasm and
lost both the first-class and
one-day series.
After an
evenly-balanced draw, Zimbabwe
decided to experiment with some
younger players, deliberately
weakening their team, and paid
the price with defeat in the
second match. The same selection
policy prevailed after they had
taken a 2-1 lead in the one-day
series, and they promptly lost
the final two matches.
Graeme Hick, despite
being omitted from the final
match, led Zimbabwe's batting for
the season, with 332 runs in
three first-class matches
(average 66.40). Andy Pycroft,
relieved of the burden of
captaincy, recovered some of his
consistency, and scored 274 runs
(average 45.66). Dave Houghton
was the only other batsman to
pass 200 runs, scoring 228 at
32.57.
Peter Rawson again
dominated the bowling, taking 18
wickets at an average of 24.05.
The only other bowler to take ten
or more wickets was Iain Butchart
(11 at 27.45). With the enforced
removal of Curran, Eddo Brandes
gained a regular place in the
national side.
Zimbabwe took part
in the 1986 Trophy competition
much more aware of what they
would be up against than they had
been in 1982, but with a harder
task, in that they themselves had
been weakened and the opposing
teams had developed during the
intervening years. Furthermore,
after the Zimbabwe government's
refusal to accept certain members
of the England B team, the
national side found themselves
shouldering the blame and made
much less welcome in many places
than they had been before.
Indeed, there was some feeling
that in the final certain
authorities had done all they
could to prepare conditions that
would ensure Holland the victory
instead of Zimbabwe.
Unhindered by the
weather this time, Zimbabwe won
all six of their first-round
matches easily, and raced to a
ten-wicket victory over Bermuda
in the semi-final. The final was
affected by the weather and
Zimbabwe had much the worse of
the conditions. Robin Brown and
Andy Waller played invaluable
innings, and then the bowlers and
fielders did their part to see
Zimbabwe home and into the
1987/88
World Cup. Grant
Paterson, a destroyer of
second-class bowling, was the top
run-scorer, with 345 at an
average of 69.00. Also over 200
runs were Andy Pycroft (260 at
65.00) and Robin Brown 225 at
45.00). Five bowlers remarkably
took more than ten wickets: Peter
Rawson (18 at 11.55), Eddo
Brandes (16 at 13.37), Malcolm
Jarvis (12 at 9.41), Iain
Butchart (12 at 21.83) and John
Traicos (11 at 17.36).
YOUNG
AUSTRALIA TOUR
(50 overs) At Harare
South Country Club; 18 September.
YOUNG AUSTRALIANS 270/4 (B A
Courtice 69, D M Jones 87*, P S
Clifford 70). ZIMBABWE COUNTRY
DISTRICTS 158. Young Australians
won by 112 runs.
At Harare Sports
Club; 20, 21, 23 September. YOUNG
AUSTRALIA 175 (G A Bishop 32, A I
C Dodemaide 41; P W E Rawson
5/56) and 272/9 (D M Jones 70, A
I C Dodemaide 36*; P W E Rawson
3/65, K M Curran 3/61, A J
Traicos 3/78). ZIMBABWE 345 (A J
Pycroft 37, G A Hick 127, D L
Houghton 35, K M Curran 49*, I P
Butchart 38; R L Brown 3/90, B A
Reid 4/91). Match drawn.
(1ST ODI) At Harare
Sports Club; 22 September. YOUNG
AUSTRALIA 234/7 (R B Kerr 63, D M
Jones 62). ZIMBABWE 238/7 (G A
Paterson 73, I P Butchart 43*).
Zimbabwe won by three
wickets.
(50 overs) At Mutare
Sports Club; 25 September.
ZIMBABWE B 186 (C A T Hodgson 92,
J P Brent 53; S P Davis 5/15).
YOUNG AUSTRALIANS 190/1 (G A
Bishop 129*). Young Australians
won by nine wickets.
(2ND ODI) At
Bulawayo Athletic Club; 28
September. YOUNG AUSTRALIA 220/8
(D M Jones 55, G A Bishop 43, S R
Waugh 42; I P Butchart 5/56).
ZIMBABWE 221/9 (G A Paterson 33,
A J Pycroft 30, A C Waller 38, P
W E Rawson 45*; A I C Dodemaide
4/28). Zimbabwe won by one
wicket.
(3RD ODI) At
Bulawayo Athletic Club; 29
September. YOUNG AUSTRALIA 113 (B
A Courtice 33, A I C Dodemaide
36; K M Curran 3/30). ZIMBABWE
114/2 (G A Paterson 65*).
Zimbabwe won by eight
wickets.
At Harare Sports
Club; 1, 2, 3 October. YOUNG
AUSTRALIA 259/8 dec (D M Jones
59, S R Waugh 30, S L Saunders
53, M G Dimattina 64*; K M Curran
3/69) and 217/2 (B A Courtice 59,
W R Kerr 68, D M Jones 43*, G A
Bishop 41*). ZIMBABWE 126 (I P
Butchart 32; D R Gilbert 7/43)
and 285 (G A Hick 154, D L
Houghton 37; D R Gilbert 6/75).
Young Australia won by 65
runs.
(4TH ODI) At Harare
Sports Club; 5 October. ZIMBABWE
217/9 (G A Paterson 46, D L
Houghton 40; A I C Dodemaide
3/60). YOUNG AUSTRALIA 109 (A I C
Dodemaide 45; I P Butchart 3/20).
Zimbabwe won by 108 runs.
(5TH ODI) At Harare
Sports Club; 6 October. ZIMBABWE
208/9 (A J Pycroft 68, A C Waller
44; R L Brown 3/52). YOUNG
AUSTRALIA 185/8 (D M Jones 35, M
G Dimattina 59*, R L Brown 40*; K
M Curran 4/38). Zimbabwe won by
23 runs.
NEW
SOUTH WALES TOUR
(1ST ODI) At Harare
Sports Club; 22 March. NEW SOUTH
WALES 232/7 (S M Small 34, P S
Clifford 55, M E Waugh 33, R P
Done 39*). ZIMBABWE 234/6 (A H
Omarshah 34, D L Houghton 68, A C
Waller 57*). Zimbabwe won by four
wickets.
(2ND ODI) At Harare
Sports Club; 23 March. ZIMBABWE
220 (A J Pycroft 52, P W E Rawson
53; M E Waugh 4/52). NEW SOUTH
WALES 224/8 (M A Taylor 50, P S
Clifford 32, T H Bayliss 57, P L
Taylor 32*; G A Hick 3/28). New
South Wales won by two
wickets.
(50 overs) At Mutare
Sports Club; 26 March. ZCU
PRESIDENT'S XI v NEW SOUTH WALES
-- match abandoned.
At Harare Sports
Club; 28, 29, 31 March. ZIMBABWE
307 (R D Brown 33, G A Hick 40, A
J Pycroft 90, A C Waller 30, P W
E Rawson 48*; R G Holland 4/95)
and 189/8 dec (A J Pycroft 61, D
L Houghton 66; M R Whitney 3/37,
P L Taylor 5/39). NEW SOUTH WALES
214/8 dec (G C Dyer 85; P W E
Rawson 5/92) and 166/5 (P S
Clifford 44, M E Waugh 51*).
Match drawn.
(3RD ODI) At Harare
Sports Club; 30 March. NEW SOUTH
WALES 224/9 (M A Taylor 73, M J
Bower 36, M E Waugh 39; I P
Butchart 3/36). ZIMBABWE 226/8 (G
A Paterson 44, G A Hick 77, A C
Waller 52). Zimbabwe won by two
wickets.
(4TH ODI) At
Bulawayo Athletic Club; 2 April.
NEW SOUTH WALES 186 (M E Waugh
61, R P Done 31; P W E Rawson
3/13). ZIMBABWE 125 (A C Waller
39; R P Done 5/21). New South
Wales won by 61 runs.
At Harare Sports
Club; 4, 5, 7 April. NEW SOUTH
WALES 314/6 dec (R J Bower 31, M
D O'Neill 132, M E Waugh 83, G C
Dyer 30*; I P Butchart 3/53) and
155/4 dec (T H Bayliss 46, M D
O'Neill 55*; E A Brandes 3/38).
ZIMBABWE 184 (A J Pycroft 58*, M
A Meman 36; R P Done 4/54) and
215 (D L Houghton 55, G C Wallace
70; R G Holland 4/71, P L Taylor
4/58). New South Wales won by 70
runs.
(5TH ODI) At Harare
Sports Club; 6 April. ZIMBABWE
224/9 (R D Brown 39, P W E Rawson
48; R J Tucker 3/26). NEW SOUTH
WALES 226/6 (M E Waugh 54, T H
Bayliss 36, P S Clifford 67*, G C
Dyer 42; I P Butchart 3/55). New
South Wales won by four
wickets.
(50 overs) At Harare
South Country Club; 9 April. NEW
SOUTH WALES 266/7 (S M Small 111,
G C Dyer 33, R J Bower 51*).
ZIMBABWE COUNTRY DISTRICTS 90 (R
G Holland 4/7). New South Wales
won by 176 runs.
ICC
TROPHY MATCHES IN ENGLAND,
1986
(Warm-up match, 60
overs) At Northampton; 6 June.
ZIMBABWEANS 249/6 (A J Pycroft
46, A C Waller 60).
NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 254/3 (R J
Bailey 57, D J Capel 73*, R A
Harper 69*). Northamptonshire won
by seven wickets.
At Moseley; 11 June.
ZIMBABWE 315/7 (A J Pycroft 135,
D L Houghton 31, A C Waller 39;
Rafiq-ul-Alam 3/48). BANGLADESH
171/8 (N Abedin 37, G A Hossain
37, Rafiq-ul-Alam 35; M P Jarvis
4/28). Zimbabwe won by 144
runs.
At Sutton Coldfield;
16 June. KENYA 82 (P W E Rawson
3/16, A J Traicos 3/19). ZIMBABWE
85/3 (R D Brown 33*). Zimbabwe
won by seven wickets.
At Fordhouses; 18
June. ZIMBABWE 357/7 (R D Brown
30, A J Pycroft 41, G C Wallace
77, P W E Rawson 125, I P
Butchart 39*; A G Morris 3/53).
ARGENTINA 150 (L Alonso 35; M P
Jarvis 3/39, I P Butchart 3/30).
Zimbabwe won by 207 runs.
At Kidderminster; 20
June. DENMARK 146 (N Bindslev 42,
O H Mortensen 33; E A Brandes
4/21). ZIMBABWE 148/2 (G A
Paterson 86*). Zimbabwe won by
eight wickets.
At Egerton Park; 23
June. MALAYSIA 89 (V
Vijayalingham 32; P W E Rawson
4/21, E A Brandes 4/13). ZIMBABWE
90/2 (A J Pycroft 31*). Zimbabwe
won by eight wickets.
At Nantwich; 25
June. EAST AFRICA 140 (G R Sharif
72, B K Bouri 31; P W E Rawson
3/32, E A Brandes 5/37). ZIMBABWE
143/0 (D L Houghton 87*, G A
Paterson 55*). Zimbabwe won by
ten wickets.
(Semi-Final) At West
Bromwich; 2 July. BERMUDA 201/7
(N A Gibbons 58, W A E Manders
33, O W Jones 35*; P W E Rawson
3/28). ZIMBABWE 205/0 (R D Brown
61*, G A Paterson 123*). Zimbabwe
won by ten wickets.
(Final) At Lord's;
7, 8 July. ZIMBABWE 243/9 (R D
Brown 60, A J Pycroft 30, A C
Waller 59; S W Lubbers 3/44).
HOLLAND 218 (S R Atkinson 31, R E
Lifmann 41, S W Lubbers 35, R J
Elferink 31; I P Butchart 4/33).
Zimbabwe won by 25 runs.
It is intended in the future to produce full
scorecards, and also much more
information about all cricket in
Rhodesia during this season. At
present, the next entry in this
section is for 1986/87
