A look back - Kenya vs Zimbabwe 2006

[brmtaylor.com admin]

Something I posted in another thread reminded me of this series: http://www.espncricinfo.com/zimvkenya/e ... 38143.html

What are the thoughts here about that series?
I remember it quite well because I think it was the first FULL series where I paid close attention to Zimbabwe (before that it was sort of on and off).

It was in the bad old days of Cricinfo (not that they've ever really been great with regards to Zim)... if it wasn't 2 full members they didn't even do score updates.
The only place that was doing score updates was the BBC website believe it or not. Every 15 overs or so.

Duffin came out of nowhere to become captain. Basically off the back of one half century in a Test... that's how low the bar was set. To put that in perspective, Chari has made a half century. Can you imagine him by virtue of that one achievement being considered a captaincy candidate?

Rinke, Strydom, Meth all parachuted into the team from like club level or something. Don't know what the exact circumstances were other than to think it was weird at the time. Probably Ireland was in the same boat too. Basically Taylor/Masakadza/Mahwire were the only senior players.

My memory is that this was the absolute lowest point in Zim cricket history. Even that post rebel era where we got bowled out for 35, etc was not as bad as this series IMO (I think we lost 2 matches against Kenya).


Does anyone else have any memories of this shocking/un-publicised excuse for an ODI series?

[CrimsonAvenger]

Yes, horrific memories. Rinke was quite consistent in the series though . But if you take a look at the first match, Duffin got in, played his very first ODI itself as skipper, opened the batting and scored a half century (53), got the MoM award too. Relating this to Q. No. 475 on the photo quiz thread. Although, that looks like a very generous award by the powers that be at ZC. Clearly Hamilton (58* and 2 wickets) or Taylor (60* and a catch and a stumping) could have been chosen. Those two guided us home.

[Train Driver]

Come on lads, you're being much to pessimistic

These are the Zimbabwean 'golden days', watermelon says it's so and if you disagree he'll have all his 'contacts' in ZC after you

[watermelon]

Before you all wet yourselves with how good Zimbabwean cricket is now, remember this was a tied series against a team that had recently made the semifinals of the World Cup. We can't even win games against bottom feeders like Afghanistan now, let alone a top-4 team!!! My contacts in ZC are more interested in cricket than hunting down trains!

-watermelon.

[Train Driver]

Before you all wet yourselves with how good Zimbabwean cricket is now, remember this was a tied series against a team that had recently made the semifinals of the World Cup. We can't even win games against bottom feeders like Afghanistan now, let alone a top-4 team!!! My contacts in ZC are more interested in cricket than hunting down trains!

-watermelon.

Have you been drinking again? just who on here is claiming "how good Zimbabwean cricket is now"?

It's pretty obvious that nearly everyone is in despair about how bad Zimbabwe are, maybe your laughable 'contacts' at ZC would be better off looking for trains because they're not much good at their day jobs

[Jemisi]

I do still awake at night sometimes and recall that we had a time where winning against Kenya was up for grabs.

As bad as things have been since out test return they haven't yet descended to this period.

[watermelon]

I do still awake at night sometimes and recall that we had a time where winning against Kenya was up for grabs.

As bad as things have been since out test return they haven't yet descended to this period.

Except that beating Kenya back then was at least equivalent to beating Afghanistan, Ireland now. Back in 2006 Chigumbura and Utseya were young and hungry and on the up. Now we have no youngsters at all comparable coming through the system.

-watermelon.

[Kriterion_BD]

Before you all wet yourselves with how good Zimbabwean cricket is now, remember this was a tied series against a team that had recently made the semifinals of the World Cup. We can't even win games against bottom feeders like Afghanistan now, let alone a top-4 team!!! My contacts in ZC are more interested in cricket than hunting down trains!

-watermelon.

Made the semifinals on forfeitures. They won 2 big games, which is how many Ireland won in 2007.

Also by 2006, that Kenya side had already slipped. They were trounced 7-0 by a very mediocre-at-the-time Bangladesh side, home and away.

[jaybro]

Yeah Kenya got lucky in the 03 WC but credit to them they beat Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe ( also BD but they were always beating BD at the time ). But by 06 they were done and dusted, the series was 2-2 with a wash out without watching any live action it's to tell how high quality the cricket was ....

I remember that summer of cricket in Zimbabwe very well it looked very bright indeed with NZ and India touring for 2 tests each and a tri series plus 5 rebels Streak, Blignaut, Rogers, Ewing and Coventry had already returned and were joined by Carlisle and Wishart. But by the end of it all 7 of those guys had quit again ( except Choppa ) we were pumped in all tests and ODI's and then to top things off Taibu announced he was also quitting. The 2-2 draw was probably a good result which was followed by a decent tour of the West Indies where although we didn't beat the Windies in any games we were competitive against a side containing Lara, Gayle & co. we ended the tour with a tri series against Canada and Bermuda where we won comfortably un-like todays side where we struggle to be associates. We also un-earthed some decent players such as Ryan Higgins, Mupariwa, Rainsford and Chamu plus Utseya really came of age on that tour so much that he replaced struggling captain Duffin for the home series against BD where as underdogs we won the series 3-2. That series of course featured the famous last ball 6 from BRMT to win us the game ......

[jaybro]

Martin Williamson didn't think very highly of the series in his review .....

http://www.espncricinfo.com/zimvkenya/c ... 39628.html

Also a link to the series home page for those who were interested ......

http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/ ... 36405.html