The history of cricket in Zimbabwe, formerly Rhodesia and before 1965 Southern Rhodesia, includes Rhodesia first forming a first-class cricket team in August 1890, and the inaugural Test appearance of Zimbabwe in October 1992.
Until 1965 Rhodesia encompassed Northern Rhodesia, now Zambia, but the cricket-playing population in that territory was very small.
Historical background
The modern history of Zimbabwe starts with treaties and concessions initiated by Cecil Rhodes and the British South Africa Company in 1888/9. The country was the southern part of Zambezia until that name was officially changed to Rhodesia in 1895, and in 1898 the designation Southern Rhodesia was made official. Southern Rhodesia became a self-governing British colony in 1922.
In 1953 Northern and Southern Rhodesia were reunited in the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, and after its dissolution in 1963, an independence movement in Southern Rhodesia was led by Ian Smith. Southern Rhodesia was renamed Rhodesia in 1965, and a unilateral declaration of independence occurred. This was declared illegal by the UK, and 15 years of controversy and sanctions followed until finally the country gained official independence as Zimbabwe in April 1980.
Cricket in Rhodesia
In cricket terms, Rhodesia was always tied to South Africa and for cricketing purposes were under the authority of that country's administrators until independence in 1980.[1] The first recorded match in Rhodesia took place near Fort Victoria (modern Masvingo) on 16 August 1890, on a wicket of a bare twenty two yards of earth, shortly after Cecil Rhodes' Pioneer Column had formed a settlement. In the mid-1890s, the most important match of the Rhodesian domestic cricket season was Salisbury v Bulawayo. The Rhodesian Cricket Union was formed in 1898.[2] The first English representative team, led by Lord Hawke, visited in 1898–99, with the match played on a matting wicket.
First-class cricket was not established in the colony until the Rhodesian team began taking part in South Africa's Currie Cup competition from 1904 to 1905[3] following the inclusion on 1 February 1904 of the Rhodesian Cricket Union (RCU) in the South African Cricket Association (SACA; itself founded in 1890).[4][5][6] Rhodesia's inclusion within the South African cricketing struture had already been provided for since 1898 as the South African Cricket Association's own Articles of Constitution noted that the "area of the Association shall be divided into districts defined by the Government surveys, as the Association in general meeting may from time to time decide, and that the following be recognised as districts for Unions:- Western Province, Eastern Province, Border, Natal, (including Zululand), Transvaal (including Swazieland), Orange Free State (including Basutoland), Griqualand West, Bechuanaland (including Rhodesia)".[5][6] These provisions meant that when the RCU applied to be affiliated with the SACA on 21 December 1903, it was unanimously approved.[6]
The initial first-class match was against Transvaal cricket team on 15–16 March 1905, at Johannesburg. Rhodesia lost by an innings and 170 runs. After this brief appearance, Rhodesia did not take part in the Currie Cup again until 1929–30.[7] They played also in 1931–32, winning four out of five matches, but losing the cup to Western Province under the points system then in use. The Rhodesian team then did not return until 1946–47, after which they at last played regularly. The Rhodesian team toured other areas of Africa too. In 1951 they toured their northern neighbours East Africa. The first overseas team to play there.[8] In this period, Denis Tomlinson became Rhodesia's first Test cricketer when he was selected to tour England with the South Africa national cricket team in 1935, Chris Duckworth the second for the English tour of 1955, and Tony Pithey the third against England in the home series of 1956/57.
The Logan Cup, a weekend contest between the four provinces, Matabaleland, Mashonaland, Manicaland and Midlands was played on an annual basis, later incorporating Northern Rhodesia, while in the winter months, with the farmers in fallow, Sunday Country Districts' Cricket abounded. Additionally in the late 1950s and early 1960s, in those winter months, the Stragglers, made up of a number of Mashonaland players, travelled to Blantyre for weekend matches on matting wickets against Nyasaland. In the 1961 game, Chris Duckworth scored 91 in 58 minutes.
Although the RCU became eligible for Associate membership of the ICC after 1965, when the ICC opened up associate membership more broadly (including to non-Commonwealth countries like the USA) it did not seriously consider applying as it valued its relationship with SACA more than an independent relationship with the ICC.[9]
The team played in 1979–80 as "Zimbabwe-Rhodesia", and left the competition for good at the close of that season after Zimbabwe officially became independent.
Cricket in Zimbabwe
The only first-class matches in the 1980–81 and 1981–82 seasons involved the Zimbabwean national cricket team against tourists. Zimbabwe became an associate member of the International Cricket Council on 21 July 1981, and played first-class matches on its inaugural tour of England in 1982. Zimbabwe won the 1982 ICC Trophy, and this can be seen as its first step towards Test status. The team competed in the 1983 Cricket World Cup, unexpectedly beating Australia in its first match. Later, the team was weakened when white Zimbabweans, including Graeme Hick, left the country to pursue their careers elsewhere.
Zimbabwe's application for Test status and full membership of the ICC was again rejected at the ICC's July 1989 meeting[10] due to a veto by England,[11] although it was agreed that in the future Zimbabwe could play five-day unofficial Tests[10] against representative teams from Test-playing countries, while serving a five-year probationary period before their bid for full membership would be reconsidered in 1994.[12]
Zimbabwe was elected to full membership of the ICC in July 1992, with all full members voting in favour except for England who abstained,[13] and played its inaugural Test match versus India at the Harare Sports Club on 18–22 October 1992, under the captaincy of David Houghton. The match was drawn, and thus Zimbabwe became the first team to avoid losing its inaugural Test match since Australia beat England in the very first Test in 1877.
The main domestic competition is the Logan Cup which has a long history. This acquired first-class status from the 1993–94 season.
Zimbabwe cricket has also nurtured and produced South African born Andy Flower, whose test batting average was over 80 in both 2000 and 2001 and who ranks as one of the finest wicket-keeper batsmen in the history of the game.
International tours of Rhodesia and Zimbabwe to 1992
English XI 1924
A team of English cricketers financed by businessman Solomon Joel (hence known as S. B. Joel's XI) toured South Africa in 1924/25. One match was played against Rhodesia in Bulawayo which was won by S. B. Joel's XI by 8 wickets.[14]
Prior to the commencement of their 1957/58 tour of South Africa the Australian cricket team played three matches in Rhodesia. A 2-day match with North Rhodesia in Kitwe was drawn, a 4-day match against Rhodesia in Sailsbury was won Australia by an innings and 14 runs and a 3-day match versus Rhodesia in Bulawayo was a 10 wicket victory to Australia.[16]
New Zealand 1961
Rhodesia was visited by a New Zealand team at the start of their tour of South Africa in October 1961. They played two three-day first-class games against Rhodesia, the first in Bulawayo and the second in Salisbury. Both matches ended in draws.[17][18]
Commonwealth XI 1961/62
This was the first tour by an international team of southern Africa that was confined to Rhodesia. The Commonwealth XI cricket team visited the country in February–March 1962 and played matches in Kitwe, Bulawayo and Salisbury. The first two matches were drawn, while the third match in Salisbury was a 74 run victory for the Rhodesian team.[19]
An International Wanderers team, made up of international players from multiple countries, toured Rhodesia in 1972. They played two 4-day matches against Rhodesia. The first game was drawn and the second game was a 411 run victory to Rhodesia.[21] The International Wanderers toured Rhodesia and Transvaal in 1974. They played three 50-over matches and one 3-day match against Rhodesia. The International Wanderers won all four matches.[22] In 1975 the International Wanderers visited again playing one 50-over match and two 3-day matches. The 50-over match in Salisbury was won by Rhodesia by 12 runs.[23] The first 3-day match in Bulawayo was won by Rhodesia by 4 runs.[24] The second 3-day match in Sailsbury was won by the International Wanderers by 9 wickets.[25]
Kenya 1980–81
The Kenyan cricket team toured Zimbabwe in 1980/81 and played six matches. The two 3-day matches against the full Zimbabwean team were victories for Zimbabwe, winning the first match in Salisbury by 10 wickets and the second in Bulawayo by an innings and 103 runs.[26][27]
Sri Lanka 1982/83
Sri Lanka, after recently being awarded test status, toured Zimbabwe in 1982. They drew a two match limited overs series 1-1. There were then two 4-day matches, one being drawn and the other a victory to Zimbabwe by an innings and 40 runs.[28] The tour was later overshadowed by several Sri Lankan players leaving to join a "rebel tour" to nearby South Africa, the Arosa Sri Lanka team.[29]
Ireland 1985/86
A touring team from Ireland visited Zimbabwe in 1986 and played 8 matches against local teams, but no matches against the Zimbabwe national side.[30]
Ireland 1990/91
Ireland made another visit in March 1991 and played nine matches on their tour. One was a 9-day match against a Zimbabwe XI in Harare which was drawn.[31]
The Zimbabwe men's national cricket team, also known as the Chevrons, represents Zimbabwe in men's international cricket and is overseen by Zimbabwe Cricket. Zimbabwe has been a Full Member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) since 1992. As of May, 2023, Zimbabwe was ranked 10th in Tests, 11th in One Day Internationals (ODIs) and 11th in Twenty20 internationals (T20Is) by the ICC.
International cricket in South Africa between 1971 and 1981 consisted of four private tours arranged by English sports promoter Derrick Robins, two tours by a private team called the "International Wanderers", and one women's Test match. The apartheid policy followed by the South African Governments of the day meant that no Test match playing nation was willing to tour, thereby depriving world cricket of leading stars such as Graeme Pollock, Barry Richards, Clive Rice and Eddie Barlow.
Duncan Andrew Gwynne Fletcher is a Zimbabwean cricket coach and former cricketer, who has coached the England and Indian national teams. He led the Indian team to be the winners of the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy, where the team was undefeated during the tournament.
The East Africa cricket team was a multi-national cricket team representing the countries of Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia. Their first game was against Rhodesia in 1951. East Africa appeared in the 1975 World Cup and the 1979, 1982 and 1986 ICC Trophies. In the last two of these Kenya was represented in its own right, so that East Africa was effectively a Ugandan, Tanzanian and Zambian team.
Harare Sports Club is a sports club and the Harare Sports Club Ground is a cricket stadium in Harare, Zimbabwe. Founded in 1900 and known as Salisbury Sports Club until 1982, it is mostly used for cricket matches, and has served as the primary cricket venue in Rhodesia and Zimbabwe since its foundation. Other sports played at the club are rugby, tennis, golf and squash.
Denis Stanley Tomlinson was a Rhodesian cricketer who played in one Test match for South Africa in 1935. He was the first Rhodesian-born cricketer to represent South Africa.
Christopher Anthony Russell Duckworth was a Rhodesian cricketer who played in two Tests for South Africa in 1957.
David Bartlett Pithey was a Rhodesian cricketer who played in eight Tests for South Africa from 1963 to 1967. As well as playing for Rhodesia and Western Province, he played first-class cricket for Oxford University and Northamptonshire. Christopher Martin-Jenkins described him as "spasmodically brilliant". His brother, Tony, also played Test cricket for South Africa; they played together in five of the Tests on the 1963–64 tour of Australasia.
The Rhodesia cricket team played first-class cricket and represented originally the British colony of Southern Rhodesia and later the unilaterally independent state of Rhodesia which became Zimbabwe. In 1980 the Rhodesia cricket team was renamed as the Zimbabwe-Rhodesia cricket team, and in 1981 it adopted its current name of the Zimbabwe national cricket team.
The Zambia national cricket team is the team that represents the Republic of Zambia in international cricket. It is administered by the Zambia Cricket Union, which became an associate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2003. The team made its international debut in 1930, during the country's colonial period as Northern Rhodesia.
The England cricket team toured South Africa from 8 November 1938 to 14 March 1939, playing five Test matches against the South Africa national team and 13 tour matches against various provincial sides. England won the third Test by an innings and 13 runs, but the other four Tests finished as draws, including the final timeless Test, which was played over the course of 10 days. The final Test was declared a draw, as the England team had to leave to ensure they caught the boat home from Cape Town.
The New Zealand national cricket team toured South Africa from October 1953 to February 1954 and played a five match Test series against the South Africa national cricket team. South Africa won the Test series 4–0. The tour was the first by a representative New Zealand side to South Africa and the tourists embarked on their visit without having won a Test match since they had been granted full member status of the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1930.
The New Zealand national cricket team toured South Africa from October 1961 to February 1962 and played a five-match Test series against the South Africa national cricket team. The series was drawn 2–2, with New Zealand's victory in the third Test the team's first Test match win outside their home country. New Zealand captain John Reid scored a total of 1,915 runs during the tour, setting a record for the most runs scored in South Africa by a touring batsman. The tour was the second to South Africa by a team from New Zealand, the previous tour having taken place in 1953–54.
Cricket is a popular sport in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) is a full member of the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Kantilal Kanjee was a Zimbabwean first-class and Test cricket umpire.
An International XI cricket team toured several countries from February to April 1962 and played a total of eight first-class matches, these taking place in Kenya, Northern Rhodesia, Southern Rhodesia, East Pakistan, New Zealand, India and Pakistan. The International XI was captained initially by West Indian Everton Weekes and later Australian Richie Benaud.
Sydney Austen Cowper was a South African-born cricketer whose six-match first-class career spanned from 1908 to 1924. He played once for Western Province in South African domestic cricket, twice for the Argentine national side, and finally three times for Rhodesia.
Michael Raymond George Huckle is a Rhodesian former cricketer who played a single first-class match for the Rhodesian national side in October 1966.
References
Bowen, Rowland (1970). Cricket: a History of Its Growth and Development Throughout the World. London: Eyre & Spottiswoode. ISBN9780413278609.
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