Zimbabwe's journey continues. Ireland's best T20 day. Scotland and West Indies leave. Shan Masood news. And a history of Max O'Dowd in under 12 cricket
Day six of the World Cup.
Not World Cup related (in fact, Denmark are probably the best limited overs team not to make a men’s World Cup) but this episode of Double Century is one of the most interesting we have done so far. It includes an incredible story of making cricket bats during World War 2.
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe were suspended for the last World Cup because of political interference. It also cost them in terms of money from the ICC. Blessing Muzarabani was a Kolpak player and nearly ended up playing Major League Cricket in the US. Their best cricketer of the last 15 years has been Gary Ballance, who was off playing in England. And Colin de Grandhomme was pretty good too.
Zimbabwe cricket was so broke - and unattractive to sponsor - that Ryan Burl had to take to Twitter to ask for new shoes. Two former heroes, Brendan Taylor and Heath Streak, were done for fixing one after the other. And they didn't qualify for the 2019 World Cup just because they weren't good enough. That is not everything, just what I can remember off the top of my head. The last couple of years for Zimbabwean cricket has been dire. And this is a nation that knows that their cricket can be ugly.
And so after all that, they just qualified for the main part of the World Cup. If that doesn't warm your heart, let me add this.
You may have seen all the Zimbabwean fans at the ground. Many came from Hobart, all over Australia, and even New Zealand just to support their team. As Bharat Sunderasan said on our Uncovered podcast, they weren't even all cricket fans.
Many of them just came down to support their nation. They aren't really that into cricket. But they are living abroad, and this is their chance to support the team representing their nation.
You could see what it meant to their players to have this support. And that is an important word; Zimbabwe cricket has been through a lot, they needed this. I hope they surprise a team or two in the next round. But even if they don't. I hope the entire cricket consciousness of Zimbabwe remembers this.
Also I want to shout out two men, Sikander Raza and Dave Houghton. We will get to Raza's tournament in a moment, but his performances and attitude over the last two years have turned him into a tremendous talisman for this side.
Houghton is the new coach. He last lead this side in the late 90s. His life would have been easier if he didn't take this job. But he came back, and has instilled this new belief in their team. They are calling it Babzall-inspired. I don't know if that is right, but I am loving this new Zimball either way.
Although he couldn't see them home, it was a match-winning captain's knock from Sean Ervine, in a situation that was seemingly tailor-made for him. With Zimbabwe only requiring just over six and a half runs an over, Ervine's fairly pedestrian international strike rate of 107 was not an issue. He was allowed him to anchor Zimbabwe's innings and gradually squeeze Scotland out of the game.
Zimbabwe could have panicked when Scotland had them 7/2 inside the first two overs, but Ervine used all of his experience to ensure they didn't collapse as they had done in their last match against the West Indies. Probably not coincidentally, Ervine missed that game through illness and with him in the side today Zimbabwe's batting was so much less brittle.
It wasn't just Ervine's batting that got Zimbabwe the win, though, once again, Sikandar Raza proved key to things. His great year continues, and he is now the leading run scorer in the tournament, thanks to his 40 from just 23 balls. He was very much the ying to Ervine's slow-scoring yang, striking at 174 and the only man on either side to hit a six in the game (he hit two). Ensuring that Ervine's slow and steady approach didn't end up building pressure on Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe's batting does look fairly reliant on Raza doing well, but in this kind of form, and with a couple of their bowlers looking lively in Australian conditions, they might, with a bit of luck, still be able to spring a surprise or two in the next stage of the tournament.
Let's highlight Tendai Chatara for a moment, and not just because he has a weird bowling action where it seems he has forgotten how to use his front arm. He has a good record in all three forms of international cricket. I think he would get a lot more respect in a better period for the national team.
But this game was so important for his nation, and he started it with the wicket of Jones. His next over was a maiden. He came back on for the 13th and went for three more runs. And then he bowled the final one where Scotland were desperate for runs, and he allowed six. All three of their seamers have been terrific so far in the tournament. Today was just Chatara's day.
Ireland
Ireland were embarrassed in the last World Cup. They won the first game, and were terrible in the two that followed. They had a must-win match against Namibia, and their batters looked timid and afraid.
When Andy Balbirnie talked about it on my Red Inker on the 99.94 podcast, you could hear how low he was on that match.
And talking after today's match ok, sure, Andy is not the most demonstrably happy person even in victory, but he did smile once. So we can say that is a bit like Ganguly on the Lord's balcony or Warne at Trent Bridge for him.
Also we need some context, this was a great day for Ireland. But they are a test-playing nation, and not only that, they beat West Indies in an ODI series in the Caribbean last year.
But let's not downplay this, even when accounting for West Indies playing like busted arse. This is huge for Ireland, because they dominated this game. They were in front from the third over of the game until the ICC booked the West Indies on new flights home.
They didn't resemble the team that lost to Zimbabwe, or had been pretty ordinary at T20 cricket for a long period. And you can include the last match as well. Ireland were packing their bags and stealing the robe from their hotel when Scotland took their fourth wicket. And Campher and Dockrell smashed their way back in. And today the top order continued that.
In terms of what happened last time, who their opposition was, and that this was their second straight knockout match, you could make a pretty solid argument that this is Ireland's greatest T20 victory. And Balbirnie did.
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