History of cricket in Rhodesia and Zimbabwe to 1992
Encyclopedia
This article is an introduction to the history of first-class cricket
in Zimbabwe
, formerly Rhodesia
and (before 1965) Southern Rhodesia. The timespan of the article is from the formation of a first-class Rhodesian team in August 1890
until the inaugural Test appearance of Zimbabwe in October 1992
.
Until 1965 the name 'Rhodesia' encompassed Northern Rhodesia
, now Zambia
, but the very small cricket-playing population in that territory means that in this article 'Rhodesian' to 1965 effectively means 'Southern Rhodesian'.
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 Great Britain, and 15 years of controversy and sanctions followed until finally the country gained official independence as Zimbabwe in April 1980.
(modern Masvingo
) on 16 August 1890, on a wicket of a bare twenty two yards of earth, shortly after 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 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 1904–05. The initial first-class match was against Transvaal
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. 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 to until 1946–47, after which they at last played regularly. In the intervening period, Denis Tomlinson
became Rhodesia's first Test cricket
er when he was selected to tour England with the South African cricket team
in 1935.
The Logan Cup, a weekend contest between the four provinces, Matabeleland (Bulawayo), Mashonaland (Salisbury - Harare), Manicaland (Umtali- Mutare) and Midlands (Gwelo - Gweru) was played on an annual basis later incorporating Northern Rhodesia - Zambia, 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, a team sponsored by Spencer-Parker, made up of a number of Mashonaland players travelled to Blantye for a weekend exercise on a matting wicket against, Nyasaland, now Malawi.
David Lewis
was the captain
of the Rhodesian team for 10 years, from 1953-54 to 1963-64, and the team included players such as Colin Bland
, Chris Duckworth, Godfrey Lawrence
, Percy Mansell
, Joe Partridge
, Tony Pithey
, David Pithey
, and Paul Winslow. By the 1970s, the team was captained by Mike Procter
and included players such as John Traicos
, Duncan Fletcher
, and Robin Jackman
. Despite its strong players, Rhodesia never managed to win the Currie Cup - A case of talent not well harnessed.
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.
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 left the country to pursue their careers elsewhere, perhaps most notably Graeme Hick
.
Zimbabwe was elected to full membership of the ICC in 1992, 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 produced Andy Flower
, whose test batting average was over 80 in both 2000 and 2001.
, Bulawayo
, and Salisbury (Harare)
.
toured Rhodesia in the 1962-63 season, playing two first-class matches against teams representative of Rhodesia, in Kitwe
and Salisbury (Harare)
. Captained by Willie Watson
, the Commonwealth XI included several famous or well-known players such as Basil D'Oliveira
, Rohan Kanhai
, Roy Swetman
, Chandu Borde
, Roy Marshall
, Bill Alley
, Trevor Goddard
and Peter Loader
.
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
, formerly Rhodesia
Rhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
and (before 1965) Southern Rhodesia. The timespan of the article is from the formation of a first-class Rhodesian team in August 1890
1890 in sports
-American football:College championship* College football national championship – Harvard Crimson-Association football:England* The Football League – Preston North End 33 points, Everton 31, Blackburn Rovers 27, Wolves 25, West Bromwich Albion 25, Accrington FC 24* FA Cup final – Blackburn Rovers...
until the inaugural Test appearance of Zimbabwe in October 1992
1992 in sports
1992 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup* Men's overall season champion: Paul Accola, Switzerland* Women's overall season champion: Petra Kronberger, Austria-American football:...
.
Until 1965 the name 'Rhodesia' encompassed Northern Rhodesia
Northern Rhodesia
Northern Rhodesia was a territory in south central Africa, formed in 1911. It became independent in 1964 as Zambia.It was initially administered under charter by the British South Africa Company and formed by it in 1911 by amalgamating North-Western Rhodesia and North-Eastern Rhodesia...
, now Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
, but the very small cricket-playing population in that territory means that in this article 'Rhodesian' to 1965 effectively means 'Southern Rhodesian'.
Historical background
The modern history of Zimbabwe starts with treaties and concessions initiated by Cecil Rhodes and the British South Africa CompanyBritish South Africa Company
The British South Africa Company was established by Cecil Rhodes through the amalgamation of the Central Search Association and the Exploring Company Ltd., receiving a royal charter in 1889...
in 1888/9. The country was the southern part of 'Zambezia'
Rhodesia (disambiguation)
Rhodesia refers primarily to a country formed by two land-locked territories in southern Africa, which are today Zambia and Zimbabwe. British colonisers named this territory after Cecil Rhodes and it was separated by a natural border provided by the Zambezi River. Occasionally they are informally...
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
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
in 1922.
In 1953 Northern and Southern Rhodesia were reunited in the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland
Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland
The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, also known as the Central African Federation , was a semi-independent state in southern Africa that existed from 1953 to the end of 1963, comprising the former self-governing colony of Southern Rhodesia and the British protectorates of Northern Rhodesia,...
, and after its dissolution in 1963, an independence movement in Southern Rhodesia was led by Ian Smith
Ian Smith
Ian Douglas Smith GCLM ID was a politician active in the government of Southern Rhodesia, the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, Rhodesia, Zimbabwe Rhodesia and Zimbabwe from 1948 to 1987, most notably serving as Prime Minister of Rhodesia from 13 April 1964 to 1 June 1979...
. Southern Rhodesia was renamed Rhodesia in 1965, and a unilateral
declaration of independence occurred.
This was declared illegal by Great Britain, and 15 years of controversy and sanctions followed until finally the country gained official independence as Zimbabwe in April 1980.
Rhodesian cricket
In cricket terms, Rhodesia was always tied to South Africa. The first recorded match in Rhodesia took place near Fort VictoriaFort Victoria
Fort Victoria may refer to:* Fort Victoria, Alberta, Canada* Fort Victoria , Canada* Fort Victoria * Fort Victoria , England* Masvingo, Zimbabwe, named Fort Victoria until 1982...
(modern Masvingo
Masvingo
Masvingo is a town in south-eastern Zimbabwe and the capital of Masvingo Province. The town is close to Great Zimbabwe, the national monument from which the country takes its name.- History :...
) on 16 August 1890, on a wicket of a bare twenty two yards of earth, shortly after 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 first English representative team, led by Lord Hawke
Martin Hawke, 7th Baron Hawke
Martin Bladen Hawke, 7th Baron Hawke of Towton , generally known as Lord Hawke, was an English amateur cricketer who played major roles in the sport's administration....
, 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
SuperSport Series
The SuperSport Series is the main domestic first class cricket competition in South Africa, first contested in 1889-90. From 1990-91 it became known as the Castle Cup, and from 1996-97 by its current title...
competition from 1904–05. The initial first-class match was against Transvaal
South African Republic
The South African Republic , often informally known as the Transvaal Republic, was an independent Boer-ruled country in Southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century. Not to be confused with the present-day Republic of South Africa, it occupied the area later known as the South African...
on 15–16 March 1905, at Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
. Rhodesia lost by an innings
Innings
An inning, or innings, is a fixed-length segment of a game in any of a variety of sports – most notably cricket and baseball during which one team attempts to score while the other team attempts to prevent the first from scoring. In cricket, the term innings is both singular and plural and is...
and 170 runs
Run (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a run is the basic unit of scoring. Runs are scored by a batsman, and the aggregate of the scores of a team's batsmen constitutes the team's score. A batsman scoring 50 or 100 runs , or any higher multiple of 50 runs, is considered a particular achievement...
. After this brief appearance, Rhodesia did not take part in the Currie Cup again until 1929-30. They played also in 1931–32, winning four out of five matches, but losing the cup to Western Province
Western Province cricket team
Western Province cricket team is the team representing Western Cape province in domestic first-class cricket in South Africa. The team began playing in January 1890 and its main venue has always been Newlands in Cape Town.-Honours:...
under the points system then in use. The Rhodesian team then did not return to until 1946–47, after which they at last played regularly. In the intervening period, Denis Tomlinson
Denis Tomlinson
Denis Stanley Tomlinson was a South African cricketer who played in one Test in 1935. He was born in Umtali, Rhodesia and died in Durban, Natal....
became Rhodesia's first Test cricket
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
er when he was selected to tour England with the South African cricket team
South African cricket team
The South African national cricket team represent South Africa in international cricket. They are administrated by Cricket South Africa.South Africa is a full member of the International Cricket Council, also known as ICC, with Test and One Day International, or ODI, status...
in 1935.
The Logan Cup, a weekend contest between the four provinces, Matabeleland (Bulawayo), Mashonaland (Salisbury - Harare), Manicaland (Umtali- Mutare) and Midlands (Gwelo - Gweru) was played on an annual basis later incorporating Northern Rhodesia - Zambia, 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, a team sponsored by Spencer-Parker, made up of a number of Mashonaland players travelled to Blantye for a weekend exercise on a matting wicket against, Nyasaland, now Malawi.
David Lewis
David Lewis (cricketer)
David John Lewis is a former Zimbabwean first-class cricketer. His career lasted for over 20 years and the second half saw him captain the Rhodesian side which competed in the Currie Cup. He was one of the 1956 South African cricket annual cricketers of the year.-External links:*...
was the captain
Captain (cricket)
The captain of a cricket team often referred to as the skipper is the appointed leader, having several additional roles and responsibilities over and above those of a regular player...
of the Rhodesian team for 10 years, from 1953-54 to 1963-64, and the team included players such as Colin Bland
Colin Bland
Kenneth Colin Bland, was a cricketer who played for South Africa.Bland originally came from Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe but then not a Test cricket- playing nation. He also played for the South African provincial sides Eastern Province and Orange Free State...
, Chris Duckworth, Godfrey Lawrence
Godfrey Lawrence
Godfrey Bernard 'Goofy' Lawrence is a former South African cricketer who played in five Tests in the 1961–62 season....
, Percy Mansell
Percy Mansell
Percy Neville Frank Mansell was a South African cricketer who played in thirteen Tests from 1951 to 1955....
, Joe Partridge
Joe Partridge
Joseph Titus Partridge was a South African cricketer who played in eleven Tests from 1963 to 1965....
, Tony Pithey
Tony Pithey
Anthony John Pithey was a South African cricketer who played in seventeen Tests from 1957 to 1965. He was a technically correct top-order batsmen who developed a reputation for being a stayer rather than a strokemaker...
, David Pithey
David Pithey
David Bartlett Pithey is a former South African cricketer who played in eight Tests from 1963 to 1967. His brother, Tony, also played Test cricket for South Africa....
, and Paul Winslow. By the 1970s, the team was captained by Mike Procter
Mike Procter
Michael John Procter is a former South African cricketer. A fast bowler and hard hitting batsman, his chances for a long and productive test career were wrecked by South Africa's banishment from world cricket in the 1970s and 1980s...
and included players such as John Traicos
John Traicos
Athanasios John Traicos is a former cricketer who represented South Africa and Zimbabwe at international level. He was primarily an off spin bowler, and is one of a small number of cricketers to have played at the highest level for more than one country.Traicos was born in Zagazig, Egypt in 1947...
, Duncan Fletcher
Duncan Fletcher
Duncan Andrew Gwynne Fletcher OBE is a former Zimbabwean cricketer, formerly captain of the Zimbabwean cricket team and the current coach of the Indian Cricket Team. He has been appointed as coach of the Indian Cricket Team on April 27, 2011...
, and Robin Jackman
Robin Jackman
Robin Jackman is a former English cricketer, who played in four Tests and fifteen ODIs for England from 1974 to 1983. He was a seam bowler and useful tail-end batsman. During a first-class career lasting from 1966 to 1982, he took 1,402 wickets...
. Despite its strong players, Rhodesia never managed to win the Currie Cup - A case of talent not well harnessed.
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.
Zimbabwe cricket
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 CouncilInternational Cricket Council
The International Cricket Council is the international governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from England, Australia and South Africa, renamed the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and took up its current name in 1989.The...
on 21 July 1981, and played first-class matches on its inaugural tour of England in 1982. Zimbabwe won the 1982 ICC Trophy
1982 ICC Trophy
The 1982 ICC Trophy was a limited-overs cricket tournament held in England between 16 June and 10 July 1982. It was the second ICC Trophy tournament to be staged, with matches between the 16 participating teams played over 60 overs a side and with white clothing and red balls...
, and this can be seen as its first step towards Test status. The team competed in the 1983 Cricket World Cup
1983 Cricket World Cup
The 1983 ICC Cricket World Cup was the third edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup tournament. It was held from 9 June to 25 June 1983 in England and was won by India. Eight countries participated in the event. The preliminary matches were played in two groups of four teams each, and each...
, unexpectedly beating Australia
Australian cricket team
The Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. It is the joint oldest team in Test cricket, having played in the first Test match in 1877...
in its first match. Later, the team was weakened when white Zimbabweans left the country to pursue their careers elsewhere, perhaps most notably Graeme Hick
Graeme Hick
Graeme Ashley Hick MBE is a Zimbabwean-born cricketer who played 65 Test matches and 120 One Day Internationals for England. He played county cricket for Worcestershire for his entire English domestic career, a period of well over twenty years, and in 2008 he surpassed Graham Gooch's record for...
.
Zimbabwe was elected to full membership of the ICC in 1992, and played its inaugural Test match versus India
Indian cricket team
The Indian cricket team is the national cricket team of India. Governed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India , it is a full member of the International Cricket Council with Test and One Day International status....
at the Harare Sports Club
Harare Sports Club
Harare Sports Club is a cricket ground in Harare, Zimbabwe. Initially known as Salisbury Sports Club, Harare Sports Club has served as the primary cricket venue in Rhodesia and Zimbabwe since its inception. The ground became a Test venue in October 1992 when Zimbabwe played their inaugural Test,...
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
Logan Cup
The Logan Cup is the premier domestic first-class cricket competition in Zimbabwe. The current champions are the Matabeleland Tusker.-History:...
which has a long history. This acquired first-class status from the 1993-94 season.
Zimbabwe cricket has also produced Andy Flower
Andy Flower
Andrew "Andy" Flower OBE is a former international cricketer for Zimbabwe and is currently the England coach.-Playing career:...
, whose test batting average was over 80 in both 2000 and 2001.
International XI 1961-62
This was the first tour by an international team of southern Africa that was confined to Rhodesia. The International XI visited the country in February–March 1962 and played matches in KitweKitwe
Kitwe is the second largest city in terms of size and population in Zambia. With a population of 547,700 Kitwe is one of the most developed commercial and industrial areas in the nation, alongside Ndola and Lusaka...
, Bulawayo
Bulawayo
Bulawayo is the second largest city in Zimbabwe after the capital Harare, with an estimated population in 2010 of 2,000,000. It is located in Matabeleland, 439 km southwest of Harare, and is now treated as a separate provincial area from Matabeleland...
, and Salisbury (Harare)
Harare
Harare before 1982 known as Salisbury) is the largest city and capital of Zimbabwe. It has an estimated population of 1,600,000, with 2,800,000 in its metropolitan area . Administratively, Harare is an independent city equivalent to a province. It is Zimbabwe's largest city and its...
.
Commonwealth XI 1962-63
A Commonwealth XI cricket teamCommonwealth XI cricket team
The Commonwealth XI cricket team played over 100 first-class cricket matches from 1949 to 1968. The team started out as a side made up of mostly English, Australian and West Indian cricketers, that toured the subcontinent but later on played first-class fixtures in England...
toured Rhodesia in the 1962-63 season, playing two first-class matches against teams representative of Rhodesia, in Kitwe
Kitwe
Kitwe is the second largest city in terms of size and population in Zambia. With a population of 547,700 Kitwe is one of the most developed commercial and industrial areas in the nation, alongside Ndola and Lusaka...
and Salisbury (Harare)
Harare
Harare before 1982 known as Salisbury) is the largest city and capital of Zimbabwe. It has an estimated population of 1,600,000, with 2,800,000 in its metropolitan area . Administratively, Harare is an independent city equivalent to a province. It is Zimbabwe's largest city and its...
. Captained by Willie Watson
Willie Watson (England cricketer)
William "Willie" Watson, was an English cricketer, who played for Yorkshire, Leicestershire and England. He was a double international, as Watson was also a footballer who played for England's national team.-Cricket career:...
, the Commonwealth XI included several famous or well-known players such as Basil D'Oliveira
Basil D'Oliveira
Basil Lewis D'Oliveira CBE , known affectionately around the world as "Dolly", was a South African-born English cricketer. D'Oliveira was classified as 'coloured' under the apartheid regime, and hence barred from first-class cricket, resulting in his emigration to England...
, Rohan Kanhai
Rohan Kanhai
Rohan Bholalall Kanhai is a former West Indian Cricket player of Indo-Guyanese descent. He is widely considered as one of the best batsmen of the 1960s. Kanhai featured in several great West Indian teams, playing with, among others, Sir Garfield Sobers, Roy Fredericks, Lance Gibbs, and Alvin...
, Roy Swetman
Roy Swetman
Roy Swetman is an English former cricketer, who played in eleven Tests as a wicket-keeper from 1959 to 1960.-Life and career:...
, Chandu Borde
Chandu Borde
Chandrakant Gulabrao "Chandu" Borde born 21 July 1934 in Poona In Marathi Christian Family, is a ex-cricketer who was a member of the Indian team between 1958 and 1970. Following his retirement, Borde became a cricket administrator, serving as the Chairman of national selectors...
, Roy Marshall
Roy Marshall
Roy Edwin Marshall was a West Indian cricketer who played in four Tests from 1951 to 1952. He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1959.-Early career:...
, Bill Alley
Bill Alley
William Edward Alley was a cricketer who played 400 first-class matches for New South Wales, Somerset and a Commonwealth XI....
, Trevor Goddard
Trevor Goddard (cricketer)
Trevor Leslie Goddard is a former left-hand cricketer. An all-rounder, he played 41 Test matches for South Africa from 1955 to 1970, captaining them over the 1963-64 season and drawing an encounter with Australia. A left-handed, classically correct opening batsman, he was also a successful swing...
and Peter Loader
Peter Loader
Peter James Loader was an English cricketer and umpire, who played thirteen Test matches for England. He played for Surrey and Beddington Cricket Club. A whippet-thin fast bowler with a wide range of pace and a nasty bouncer, he took the first post-war Test hat-trick as part of his 6 for 36...
.
External sources
- History from Zimbabwe CricketZimbabwe CricketZimbabwe Cricket is the governing body for the sport of cricket in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe Cricket is a full member of the International Cricket Council, and operates the Zimbabwean cricket team, organising Test tours, One Day Internationals and Twenty20 Internationals with other nations...
Further reading
- Cricket: History of its Growth and Development by Rowland BowenRowland BowenMajor Rowland Francis Bowen was a cricket researcher, historian and writer....
- Wisden Cricketers' Almanack 2006