First Test win, CWC failure highlights of 2018
WINNING a Test cricket match away from home for the first time since 2001 as well as failure by the Chevrons to qualify for the 2019 International Cricket Council Cricket World Cup were the major highlights for Zimbabwe in 2018.
For the first time since they made their maiden appearance in 1983, Zimbabwe will not be at the ICC Cricket World Cup when the tournament takes place in England from 30 May to 14 July after they failed to book a place at next year’s tournament via the Qualifier held in the country at the beginning of this year.
The Chevrons went down by three runs to the United Arab Emirates through the Duckworth/ Lewis method in their last Super Sixes fixture at Harare Sports Club where a win would have taken them to England.
It had been a great tournament for Zimbabwe, who were coached by former captain Heath Streak as they topped Group B with three wins over Nepal, Afghanistan and Hong Kong as well as a tie against Scotland. After taking care of Ireland in their first Super Sixes match at Harare Sports Club, all the Chevrons needed was one win in their last two matches against West Indies and UAE.
A defeat to the Windies did not ring the alarm bells as Zimbabwe were expected to cruise past UAE with ease and book a ticket to England. It was not to be, a packed Harare Sports Club, with a crowd not seen in a long time was not enough to inspire Zimbabwe to victory, the defeat ending any hopes of heading to England in 2019.
Streak and his technical team were shown the exit door by the Zimbabwe Cricket board together with skipper Graeme Cremer. Indian Lalchand Rajput was in August confirmed as the new Zimbabwe coach while veteran Hamilton Masakadza took over from Cremer as captain.
History was made in November when Zimbabwe defeated Bangladesh by 151 runs on day four of the first cricket Test in Sylhet to record only their third away win in the prolonged version of the game since the country gained Test status in 1992.
It was also Zimbabwe’s first win in Test cricket since September 2013, the last triumph in this format of the game having last been achieved in the second Test against Pakistan at Harare Sports Club. Before the victory in November, Stuart Carlisle had been the last Zimbabwean captain to lead the team to a win in Test cricket away from home and it was also against Bangladesh. Zimbabwe won that second Test in Chittagong by eight wickets in November 2001.
Zimbabwe could not maintain their momentum in November, with Bangladesh winning the second Test in Dhaka by 218 runs to see the series end 1-1.
While Zimbabwe lost one of their bright prospects in lanky pace bowler Blessing Muzarabani who signed a deal with English county side, Northamptonshire, another star rose in 2018. Brandon Mavuta, a former national Under-19 captain showed great promise during the limited overs tour of South Africa and the Test series in Bangladesh.
The 21-year-old Mavuta earned himself a contract with Durban Heat for the inaugural Mzansi Super League where he played three matches. With veteran leg spinner Cremer now back to full fitness, the competition for places in the team should be exciting in 2019.
Despite Zimbabwe struggling to make an impression in 2018, Chevrons batsman Brendan Taylor was one of the leading run scorers in One Day International cricket this year.
Taylor, who made a return to the Zimbabwean team last year after a stint with English county side Nottinghamshire was the fifth highest run scorer in 2018 with 898 runs from 21 innings. He scored the runs at an average of 42.76, with a best score of 138 against West Indies during an International Cricket Council World Cup Qualifier Super Sixes match at Harare Sports Club on 18 March.
Indian captain Virat Kohli was the leading run scorer in ODIs with 1 202 runs, followed by his teammate Rohit Sharma. The England duo of Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root were the other batsmen who scored more runs than Taylor this year.
Sikandar Raza was the next best Zimbabwean batsmen in 2018, with 633 runs which placed him 18th while skipper Hamilton Masakadza made 581 runs and was 20th in terms of runs scored this year.
Pace bowler Tendai Chatara was Zimbabwe’s leading wicket taker in ODIs this year and fifth in the world with 30 wickets taken at an average of 27.03, an economy rate of 5.23 and best figures of four for 33 runs in Zimbabwe’s 12-run triumph over Sri Lanka at the beginning of the year in Bangladesh. Afghanistan leg spinner Rashid Khan had the highest number of wickets in 2018 with 48.
Solomon Mire was Zimbabwe’s leading run scorer in Twenty20 Internationals in 2018 with 249 runs, scored at an average of 35.57 and best score of 94 against Pakistan at HSC during a T20I triangular series match. Mire’s efforts with the bat this year placed him 25th in terms of leading run scorers in the shortest format of the game. Indian Shikhar Dhawan had the most number of runs in T20Is with 689.
Muzarabani, who quit international cricket in August to take up a contract with English county side Northamptonshire, was Zimbabwe’s highest wicket taker in T20Is with nine wickets in six matches, his best figures being 3/21 against Australia at HSC in July.