ZIMBABWE FIRST-CLASS CRICKET IN 1986/87

Captain: Dave Houghton (3), John Traicos (3)

Zimbabwe cricket, if not actually in mourning after the abrupt departures of Graeme Hick and Kevin Curran, was left struggling, as it could ill afford the loss of such talent. There was also the fear that other top players would likewise leave the country, either to aim for Test cricket or to earn more money than was available in Zimbabwe, and this did indeed happen over the following few seasons. The leading players in the team were ageing, and adequate replacements were urgently needed. With the World Cup in India and Pakistan looming, they desperately needed some good performances to boost their bid for Test status. Fortunately, two very substantial tours were arranged.

They were ill equipped, then, to face a very powerful West Indies B team which toured under the captaincy of Carlisle Best, although the experience itself was by no means wasted. The team contained such promising players as Carl Hooper, Phil Simmons, Jimmy Adams, Eldine Baptiste and George Ferris.

Four first-class matches were arranged, but this was reduced to three when the government declared a period of mourning after the death of President Machel of Mozambique. The West Indians won two of these comprehensively, although Zimbabwe did put in a better performance in the drawn Bulawayo match. For the first time since Independence, two three-day matches played by the ZCU President's XI were also declared first-class by the West Indian authorities; before they attained Test status, the ZCU had no control over the status of matches played by any of their teams. Zimbabwe still put in a creditable performance in the one-day series, which the West Indians eventually won 3-2. There were times when the tourists took matches a little too light-heartedly, but at their most intense they were formidable opposition.

Pakistan B, at the end of the season, proved a better match for the Zimbabwe team. It was initially captained by Zaheer Abbas, but he had to return home early with a hamstring injury. The captaincy was taken over by the (reportedly) 19-year-old Asif Mujtaba, who did a fine job under the circumstances, although not always sufficiently controlling his players' behaviour. He actually scored 201 runs in the one-day series and was dismissed only once; he played a crucial part in each of his team's three victories and they could never have won that series without his batting contributions. Their team included young players such as Aamer Sohail, Sajid Ali, Mohsin Kamal and Zulqarnain. For this series, John Traicos returned as captain, as Dave Houghton, having been saddled with the triple job of leading batsman, wicket-keeper and captain, resigned.

Each game of the three-match first-class series was drawn, with the weather often interfering; Zimbabwe appeared to have the edge on the tourists overall, but were unable to convert first-innings advantages into victories. In another close one-day series, the Pakistanis eventually triumphed 3-2. It was in many ways a rather unpleasant tour, with some of the Zimbabweans responding unwisely at times to Pakistani provocation. There was a most unpleasant incident when opener Aamer Sohail was given out lbw, whereupon he not only demolished his stumps with his bat but also on his return swung his bat at a table loaded with crockery in the clubhouse and destroyed that too. A Zimbabwe B match was also declared first-class by the Pakistani authorities.

For the first time since Independence, not one of Zimbabwe's batsmen enjoyed a really good season. Andy Pycroft had a disappointing season. Dave Houghton was the leading run-scorer, with 469 runs (average 33.50), but his best performance was 119 for the President's XI rather than the national side. Next, however, was Kevin Arnott, who had returned to the country after several years at university in Cape Town where he had limited his cricket, but he fitted into the side perfectly as a determined and consistent top-order batsman whose main weakness was his fragile fingers. He scored 293 runs (average 58.60). The only other batsman to pass 250 runs was all-rounder Peter Rawson, whose 252 came at an average of 28.00.

For once Rawson was not the leading bowler, as Eddo Brandes broke through to take the limelight with some outstanding performances; his 24 wickets came at an average of 23.37, and he might have done better still had he not at times overdone the short ball. Rawson was not far behind, his 21 wickets costing 24.52. Malcolm Jarvis took 19 wickets at 22.21, although 11 of these were for the President's XI or Zimbabwe B.

WEST INDIES B TOUR

(50 overs) At Harare South Country Club; 30 September. WEST INDIES B 233/7 (C A Best 40, L L Lawrence 59, R M Otto 46). ZIMBABWE COUNTRY DISTRICTS 61 (V S Greene 3/15). West Indies B won by 172 runs.

At Harare Sports Club; 2, 3, 4 October. ZCU PRESIDENT'S XI 296 (G A Paterson 31, G C Wallace 33, D L Houghton 119, C D James 41; T A Merrick 4/33) and 139/9 dec (G A Paterson 31; E A E Baptiste 6/52), WEST INDIES B 160 (R M Otto 30, E A E Baptiste 55; K G Duers 3/51, M P Jarvis 3/17, C J Cox 4/71) and 227/8 (C L Hooper 88, A F D Jackman 45*; M P Jarvis 3/49, C J Cox 3/94). Match drawn.

(1ST ODI) At Harare Sports Club; 5 October. ZIMBABWE 213/9 (A C Waller 35, D L Houghton 34, I P Butchart 52; V S Greene 3/41). WEST INDIES B 176 (C L Hooper 84, E A E Baptiste 38; A J Traicos 3/55). Zimbabwe won by 37 runs.

(50 overs) At Harare Sports Club; 8 October. ZCU PRESIDENT'S XI 189/7 (G A Paterson 38, C M Robertson 31, C D James 42*; P V Simmons 3/33, C L Hooper 3/33). WEST INDIES B 190/4 (L L Lawrence 63, A F D Jackman 42, C L Hooper 34*). West Indies B won by six wickets.

At Harare Sports Club; 10, 11, 13 October. ZIMBABWE 162 (R D Brown 44; T A Merrick 4/55, E A E Baptiste 3/32) and 136 (E A Brandes 31; E A E Baptiste 5/40). WEST INDIES B 356/6 dec (P V Simmons 107, C A Best 43, A F D Jackman 75, C L Hooper 77*; P W E Rawson 4/96). West Indies B won by an innings and 58 runs.

(2ND ODI) At Harare Sports Club; 12 October. ZIMBABWE 268/6 (G A Paterson 122, A H Omarshah 46, D L Houghton 48). WEST INDIES B 272/2 (P V Simmons 166*, C A Best 30, A F D Jackman 64*). West Indies B won by eight wickets.

At Bulawayo Athletic Club; 16, 17, 18 October. WEST INDIES B 235 (C A Best 47, L L Lawrence 42, C L Hooper 32; M P Jarvis 5/74) and 164/6 dec (A F D Jackman 48, R M Otto 53*; P W E Rawson 3/36). ZIMBABWE 144 (I P Butchart 33*; T A Merrick 4/45, G J F Ferris 4/57) and 241/8 (C M Robertson 30, A J Pycroft 42, A C Waller 31, D L Houghton 56, P W E Rawson 51; G J F Ferris 4/40). Match drawn.

(3RD ODI) At Bulawayo Athletic Club; 19 October. WEST INDIES B 280/7 (P V Simmons 48, L L Lawrence 117*, C A Best 40, E A E Baptiste 30; I P Butchart 3/52). ZIMBABWE 133 (V S Greene 3/18, E A E Baptiste 4/32). West Indies B won by 147 runs.

At Harare Sports Club; 21, 22, 23 October. WEST INDIES B 414/6 dec (L L Lawrence 63, J D Charles 185, C A Best 52, R M Otto 62*). ZCU PRESIDENT'S XI 239 (C A T Hodgson 52, C D James 30, D H Brain 58; E A E Baptiste 7/92). Match drawn.

At Harare Sports Club; 25, 27, 29 October. ZIMBABWE 170 (D L Houghton 39, P W E Rawson 52*; T A Merrick 4/69) and 76 (V S Greene 3/11, E A E Baptiste 3/18). WEST INDIES B 174 (C A Best 32, C L Hooper 34, E A E Baptiste 32; E A Brandes 5/56, P W E Rawson 3/44) and 75/0 (C A Best 58*). West Indies B won by ten wickets.

(4TH ODI) At Harare Sports Club; 1 November. ZIMBABWE 261/8 (D L Houghton 59, A J Pycroft 58, A C Waller 41; T A Merrick 3/57). WEST INDIES B 155 (C A Best 57, R M Otto 31; I P Butchart 3/31). Zimbabwe won by 106 runs.

(5TH ODI) At Harare Sports Club; 2 November. ZIMBABWE 128/6 (44 overs) (A J Pycroft 46*). WEST INDIES B 132/2 (P V Simmons 75, L L Lawrence 32). West Indies B won by eight wickets