Chevrons target ODIs after T20 success

By The NewsDay | Aug. 4, 2022 | 3 Min read

Zimbabwe clinched their maiden T20I series win over a higher-ranked side when they beat Bangladesh by 10 runs in the series decider at Harare Sports Club on Tuesday.

BY DANIEL NHAKANISO AFTER successfully masterminding Zimbabwe’s first ever Twenty20 International (T20I) series win against Bangladesh, head coach Dave Houghton is hoping to go a step further by leading the Chevrons to their first one-day international (ODI) series win against the Tigers in nine years.

Zimbabwe clinched their maiden T20I series win over a higher-ranked side when they beat Bangladesh by 10 runs in the series decider at Harare Sports Club on Tuesday.

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Cheered on by an expectant home crowd, the Chevrons showed remarkable fighting spirit after lifting themselves from 67 for six to finish on a competitive 156 for eight, before restricting Bangladesh to 146 for eight in 20 overs.

The win was Zimbabwe’s seventh in eight matches in the shortest format of the game since Houghton took over the coaching reins from Lalchand Rajput.

More significantly, it marked the Chevrons’ first ever series win over a full member in bilateral T20I cricket.

Houghton said his players were reaping the benefits of playing a positive brand of cricket, adding that he hoped they would carry the form into the three-match ODI series which gets underway tomorrow at Harare Sports Club.

“I’m delighted with the guys and the way they have been playing their cricket. Right at the start in the first couple of days of practice in Bulawayo ahead of the qualifiers we talked about the brand of cricket we wanted to play. It’s also the brand of cricket I wanted to play which is one where we are positive all the time. We take the positive option as often as we can and we never give in on that,” Houghton said during the post-match Press conference after Tuesday’s victory.

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“We have come from basically playing an associate member tournament and then we have come up against Bangladesh, who we know are a good side, particularly at white-ball cricket and straight after that we take on India and Australia. It couldn’t get any harder but I’m looking for some successes in the one-day series, of course it’s nice to get into it with a bit of confidence having won the T20s.

“I haven’t been involved with the guys in 50-over cricket so we will see how that goes, but I’m looking for some success in the one-day stuff. I hope we can take the series. I’m happy with the brand of cricket we are playing and I certainly get tired of winning so I hope it carries on for some time.”

Zimbabwe’s ODI record remains dismal, despite a recent improvement in T20 cricket.

The Chevrons are yet to register a series win against Bangladesh in a bilateral ODI series since May 2013 when they won 2-1 in a three-match series at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo.

Since then Zimbabwe has suffered consecutive 3-0 whitewash loses against the Tigers in their last four ODI series in 2015, 2018, 2019 and 2021, while they were also whitewashed 5-0 in the subcontinent in 2014.

While Zimbabwe has struggled in the 50-over format, Bangladesh have been enjoying their best ever run of form in ODI cricket. The Tigers are currently in second position on the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League Standings having won 12 of their last 18 matches.

In contrast, the Chevrons are 12th on the 13-team table with just three wins from 15 matches.

Although the ODI series against Bangladesh is not part of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League, a win will go a long way in restoring the team’s confidence in the format.

Houghton said there would be no changes to the team’s approach and they would continue playing positive, aggressive cricket.

“We are just going to practice the way we normally practise. We will have a day off tomorrow (yesterday) and start practice on Thursday. There will be no change to the way we play, it’s obviously a longer game so from the players perspective it’s going to be a little bit about learning to build a big total rather than smashing it around like T20 cricket,” he added.