Zimbabwe tour of England and Ireland, 2003 news from Cricinfo.com

Zimbabwe side politically influenced, claims report

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

The Observer newspaper in London has claimed that the Zimbabwe Cricket Union (ZCU) is very much a mouthpiece of the Mugabe regime

Zimbabwe name England tour party

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

After weeks of anxious waiting, Zimbabwe's forthcoming tour of England was finally given the go-ahead today, as a 20-man squad was announced by the Zimbabwe Cricket Union

Zimbabwe tour given go-ahead

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

The England & Wales Cricket Board will be letting out a collective sigh of relief today after it was announced that Zimbabwe's 10-week tour of England and Ireland, which starts later this month, has been given the go-ahead

Zimbabwe confirm tour of England

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

The Zimbabwe Cricket Union (ZCU) has given the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) formal confirmation that it will tour the UK this summer

Zimbabwe confirm tour to UK

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

The Zimbabwe Cricket Union (ZCU) has given the ECB formal confirmation that it will tour the UK this summer

A positive spin

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Part of the job of a national coach today is what is now known in political circles as spin

A sad end for Streak & Co.

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Zimbabwe suffered an unhappy but rather predictable end to their tour with a seven-wicket loss to South Africa at Southampton

Marsh hits out at state of English pitches

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Geoff Marsh , the Zimbabwe coach, has criticised the state of English pitches, claiming that they are a poor breeding-ground for top-class international bowlers

Smith and Rudolph set up South Africa's victory

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

South Africa warmed up for Saturday's NatWest Series final at Lord's with a confidence-restoring win over Zimbabwe in the first international match at Southampton's new Rose Bowl

Give it to me straight, doc

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Darren Gough: England's gunslinger It was always the line in those melodramatic B movie westerns

Flintoff seals six-wicket victory

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Andrew Flintoff thumped a rapid 47 not out to help England complete a six-wicket victory over Zimbabwe at Bristol to book their place in the NatWest Series final

South Africa crush hapless Zimbabwe

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

The only way is up: Doug Marillier skys an attempted hook and falls to Makhaya Ntini From a neutral spectator's point of view, this was one-day cricket at its most unappetising

Zimbabwe stick with proven team

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Zimbabwe have made no changes for their side to meet England in their latest NatWest Series game at Headingley today

A brief taste of Twentyfive25 cricket

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

On a day of frustration, with bad weather postponing the start until 3.50pm, Headingley was briefly given a taste of the Twenty20 Cup - or Twentyfive25 to be precise

Psychologically renewed

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

It was too much to expect Zimbabwe to repeat their upset victory of Thursday over England, but at least they put up a very creditable performance against South Africa, going down in the end by 46 runs

Kallis century puts paid to Zimbabwe

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Jacques Kallis scored a magnificent unbeaten 125, his 10th and highest one-day century, and his second in consecutive days, as South Africa bounced back from defeat in their opening match of the NatWest Series to record a comfortable 46-run victory

Poor ticket sales threaten Headingley's future

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Headingley's future as an international venue has been the subject of much discussion in recent years, with a combination crowd behaviour and poor ticket sales raising questions as to whether Leeds deserves to be retained as a major venue

Fletcher pours cold water on Thorpe return

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

The door on Graham Thorpe's international career has not been slammed shut, but yesterday's comments from Duncan Fletcher made it clear that his return to England colours is not the certainty many assumed it would be

Flower inspires a major upset

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

It was a major upset, and all thanks to the magnificence of Grant Flower, who finally donned the mantle of his brother Andy to lead Zimbabwe to a totally unexpected victory over England on a deceitful pitch at Trent Bridge

Never patronise a Zimbabwean

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

England have a horrible habit of underestimating Zimbabwe

Vermeulen back and looking to mend fences

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Less than three weeks after being sent home in disgrace from Zimbabwe's tour of England, Mark Vermeulen is back in the UK and looking to mend fences

Flower carries Zimbabwe to victory

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Early breakthrough: the impressive Heath Streak removes Vikram Solanki Grant Flower led Zimbabwe to a memorable and surprising win against England in the opening match of the NatWest Series at Trent Bridge

Flower and Price shine for Zimbabwe at Chelmsford

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Zimbabweans 193 for 5 (G Flower 60* Friend 44) beat Essex 189 for 9 (A Flower 52, Price 3 for 20) by five wickets

Carlisle suffers unlucky break

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Zimbabwe were dealt a major blow with the news that Stuart Carlisle has been ruled out of the whole of the NatWest Series

Kenway and Giddins shine in win over Zimbabwe

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Zimbabwe's preparations for the NatWest Series suffered another setback as they slumped to a 16-run defeat against Hampshire at The Rose Bowl

Hampshire team to meet Zimbabwe

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Hampshire play a strong side for the One Day match against Zimbabwe on Thursday (19 June) 10:45 start

'We failed to win because of two freak dismissals' says Shine after Cidermen lose

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Somerset failed to complete their hat trick of victories over international opposition when they were beaten by Zimbabwe at the County Ground on Tuesday

Carlisle ton sets up narrow Zimbabwe victory

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

The Zimbabwean tourists held off a spirited challenge to beat Somerset by three runs at Taunton after a string of misfields and dropped catches had appeared to have cost them victory

Cidermen looking forward to claiming another international scalp

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Somerset will be looking to add Zimbabwe to their list of international scalps when they entertain the tourists in a fifty over game that gets underway at 10.45 am at the County Ground on Tuesday

Ebrahim leads Zimbabwe to convincing win

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Dion Ebrahim led Zimbabwe to only their second win of the tour with an assured 81 not out as they made up for Friday's embarrassing loss with a comfortable eight-wicket victory over Ireland at Woodvale Road in Eglinton

We underperformed: Heath Streak

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Heath Streak, the Zimbabwe captain, is no doubt a frustrated man

Ireland overwhelm Zimbabwe in ten-wicket win

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

The Celtic fringe is rising

Zimbabwe make five changes for ODI series

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

After a 2-0 thrashing at English hands in the Test series, Zimbabwe have made five changes for the triangular one-day series that starts later this month

Zimbabwe name squad for one-day series

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Zimbabwe have announced a 16-man squad for the forthcoming NatWest Series with England and South Africa, with five new players drafted into the squad

Fletcher considers rotating fast bowlers

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

England's easy win at Riverside has presented the selectors with an unfamiliar problem

Vermeulen sent home from Zimbabwe tour

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Zimbabwe's opening batsman, Mark Vermeulen, has been sent home from the tour of England for persistent misconduct

Time for technology

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Congratulations to Riverside for its maiden Test match

Time for a bit of altruism

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

And so ends one of the more pointless Test series of recent times

England complete a comfortable innings victory

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

James Anderson and Steve Harmison picked up four wickets apiece, as England completed their second consecutive innings victory over Zimbabwe shortly before 4.45pm on the third day of the second npower Test at Chester-le-Street

Against the odds

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

England v Zimbabwe, 2nd Test, Riverside, Day 2 "We feel like we're playing 13 men out there." Comments to this effect have come from various Zimbabwean players at various times over the years, and no doubt are being made with more fury than ever

A pitiful procession

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

England v Zimbabwe, 2nd Test, Chester-le-Street, Day 2 After writing Zimbabwe off yesterday, when they'd had quite a decent day in the field, I felt a bit of a heel

Johnson takes six as Zimbabwe face heavy defeat

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Dream start: Richard Johnson celebrates his first wicket with his third ball ..

Not such an acid Test

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

England v Zimbabwe, 2nd Test, Chester-le-Street, Day One Thousands of northern prayers were answered when Chester-le-Street's first day of Test cricket dawned fine

Flower: silence shouldn't be mistaken for compliance

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

There has been no shortage of criticism of the current Zimbabwe tourists

New kids on the block

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

It is little wonder that the 50th anniversary of the Queen's Coronation was such a low-key affair

Stewart and McGrath restore order

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Alec Stewart became England's second-highest run-scorer in Tests, and Anthony McGrath took his average after two matches to 137, as England completed the first day of Test cricket at Durham in a predictably dominant position

A taste of a Test at Bramall Lane

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

There is justifiable pomp and ceremony going on up in Durham at the moment as the raring-to-go Riverside revs up for its first taste of Test cricket

'We were disappointing at Lord's'

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Zimbabwe's coach, Geoff Marsh, has admitted that his team need to improve in all areas of their game if they are to salvage some pride in the second npower Test against England, which begins at Chester-le-Street on Thursday

Tests in England may start at 10.30am

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Test matches in England may be forced to start at 10.30am next season, in a bid to keep the full day's play live on television

ZCU refutes 'political cleansing' claims

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Peter Chingoka, the chairman of the Zimbabwe Cricket Union, today refuted continued claims that the Zimbabwe team in the UK has been "politically cleansed"

Shenley tour game ends in a draw

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

The exciting finish hoped for in the match between Middlesex and the Zimbabwean tourists at Shenley Park did not quite materialise, although the final session was never without interest

Declaration revives contest after Carlisle century

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

A sprinkling of rain brought Zimbabwe's tour match at Shenley back to life, as Tatenda Taibu declared at tea on 401 for 4, still 115 runs adrift of Middlesex's first-innings 516 for 6

England squad for 2nd npower Test v Zimbabwe - June 5th -9th

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

England today named a 12-man squad for next week's 2nd npower Test Match against Zimbabwe at Durham

Weekes and Brown make Zimbabwe bowlers pay

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Close Middlesex 516 for 6 dec

Johnson called up for second Test

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Richard Johnson, the uncapped Somerset fast bowler, is the one new name in England's squad of 12 for the second npower Test against Zimbabwe, which starts at Chester-le-Street on Thursday (June 5)

Matthew Hoggard ruled out of 2nd npower Test

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

The Yorkshire and England pace bowler Matthew Hoggard was today ruled out of the 2nd npower Test Match against Zimbabwe at Durham next week with a knee injury

Hoggard faces six-week lay-off

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Matthew Hoggard has been ruled out of the second npower Test after a scan revealed a torn meniscal cartilage in his right knee

Anti-Mugabe protests likely at Riverside

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Talks aimed at averting the possible disruption of the second npower Test at Chester-le-Street by anti-Mugabe demonstrators have broken down, raising the possibility that the inaugural Test at the Riverside ground might be tarnished by protests

Weston hundred highlights Zimbabwe's inadequacies

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

The sunshine may have been more like Harare than Hertfordshire, but it failed to inspire Zimbabwe who toiled with little reward on the opening day of their match against Middlesex at the Denis Compton Oval in Shenley

Flintoff ruled out of second Test

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Andrew Flintoff has been ruled out of next week's second Test against Zimbabwe at Chester-le-Street, after failing to recover from a freak shoulder injury

Hoggard a doubt for Test as Love breaks thumb

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

England's injury worries deepened with the news that Matthew Hoggard is extremely doubtful for next week's second Test against Zimbabwe after he damaged the cartilage in his right knee during Yorkshire's C&G Trophy defeat against Worcestershire

Read out for three weeks

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Over the weekend the prospects of Chris Read being named as the successor to Alec Stewart as England's wicketkeeper as soon as the second Test were being talked up in many newspapers

Flower: "Players take the rap but it's all down to bad management"

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

The inexperience of the Zimbabwe side was exposed for all to see during their defeat in the first Test against England at Lord's

C'est magnifique, mais ce n'est pas la Test

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Although the English media welcomed the innings victory in the first Test against Zimbabwe at Lord's, they were united in their disappointment at the weakness of the opposition

Streak looks for crumbs of comfort

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

At the start of their Ashes-winning series against Australia in 1986-87, the England side were famously mocked by one local journalists under the headline "Can't bat, can't bowl"

Flintoff likely to miss second Test

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

England's hopes of having Andrew Flintoff back in the team for the second Test, against Zimbabwe at Durham, have been dealt a blow with news that he could be out of action for a further two weeks

Vaughan slips from top spot in PwC ratings

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Michael Vaughan has relinquished his title as the top-ranked batsman in Test cricket, following his failure during England's innings victory over Zimbabwe at Lord's

Zimbabwe batting gets nil points from the European jury

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

The Saturday of the first Lord's Test has a little tradition attached to it that is not widely known

A non-event

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

It would be wrong to suggest that Mark Butcher has never known a day like today - at Edgbaston in 2001, his criminally under-used outswingers picked up four Australian wickets in six overs

England swing to innings victory

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

England enjoyed an old-fashioned day of swing-induced dominance, as Zimbabwe fumbled to an innings and 92-run defeat in the first npower Test at Lord's

The happy ending

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

It took some time, but like a feature-length episode of Scooby Doo , Zimbabwe's bowlers finally stopped ghosting past the bat and were exposed as an all-too-human outfit

That morning-after feeling

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

A blustery mid-May morning, England making unspectacular progress against a moving ball - and not a murmur of protest in sight

England take charge

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Mark Butcher celebrates his hundred © Getty Images Mark Butcher's seventh century put England in a commanding position on the second day of the first npower Test at Lord's

Marsh angered by lax security

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Geoff Marsh, Zimbabwe's coach, criticised the security arrangements at Lord's after two protesters managed to walk onto the outfield during the first day's play

Working out the fractions

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

The spectators who ran the gauntlet of the demonstrators at Lord's received about two-thirds of the overs expected today, and about one-third of the excitement

A quintessentially English affair

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Making a point: protestors outside the Grace Gates © Getty Images If the officials of the England & Wales Cricket Board had a sleepless night fearing civil unrest and rioting in St John's Wood, they needn't have worried

Dampening down the demonstrators

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

We were promised demonstrations on the first day of the first Test against Zimbabwe at Lord's, but the only scowls on the way down to the ground from the tube station were on the faces of the touts, who must have caught a cold on a match where

England reach 184 for 3 in truncated first day

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Mark Butcher and Marcus Trescothick contributed a brace of half-centuries to give England the upper hand on a challenging first day against Zimbabwe at Lord's

Friend and Hondo in Zimbabwe team for Lord's Test

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Zimbabwe has confirmed its team for the first npower Test match versus England at Lord's, beginning on Thursday 22 May

England hold the aces

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

England start favourites for the first npower Test at Lord's, which starts - weather permitting - at 10.45am today

Hoggard passed fit for first Test

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Matthew Hoggard has been passed fit to play in the first npower Test against Zimbabwe, starting at Lord's tomorrow

MPs round on the ECB

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Almost 100 MPs rounded on the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in Parliament last night, accusing it of "putting profit before principle" in allowing Zimbabwe's tour to go ahead

Fortress Lord's prepares for the storm

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

The start of the international summer at Lord's on Thursday will be against the backdrop of unseasonally cold and wet weather and, more worryingly for those running the game, potentially major demonstrations by those opposed to the regime of Robert

Flintoff ruled out of the first Test

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Andrew Flintoff has been ruled out of the first npower Test against Zimbabwe at Lord's

Protesters plan Lord's demonstration

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Opponents of Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe's regime will stage a protest outside Lord's when the first npower Test between England and Zimbabwe starts on Thursday

England suffer double injury blow

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

England allrounder Andrew Flintoff's chances of playing in Thursday's first npower Test against Zimbabwe at Lord's have been described as "very doubtful" by the England & Wales Cricket Board's chief medical officer, Dr Peter Gregory

England check on Flintoff and Hoggard ahead of 1st npower Test

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Yorkshire and England pace bowler Matthew Hoggard underwent an ultra-sound scan on an abdominal injury today ahead of the 1st npower Test against Zimbabwe at Lord's starting on Thursday

Tour match drifts to a damp conclusion

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Light drizzle finally ended a match which had long-since ceased to have any meaning at Hove, with rain and a lack of ambition leaving Zimbabwe short of match-practice ahead of Thursday's first Test at Lord's

Stewart keeps his place as Anderson, Kirtley and McGrath called up

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Alec Stewart, England's most-capped player, retained his place in England's 13-man squad for the first Test against Zimbabwe, which starts at Lord's on Thursday (May 22)

Streak calls for stronger opposition

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Heath Streak, Zimbabwe's captain, has said that he wishes his side had faced better teams in its warm-up games at the start of their tour of England

Rain the winner on day two at Hove

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

In stark contrast to the fine weather on the first day of the match between Sussex and the Zimbabwe at Hove, the second day provided almost unrelieved drizzle

Caddick ruled out of first two Tests

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Andy Caddick has been ruled out of the Test series against Zimbabwe after sustaining ligament damage in his right foot

Stewart under the spotlight as selectors prepare for first Test

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Another Ashes drubbing has been and gone, and several old hands in the England Test team will be nervously contemplating their futures ahead of Saturday's announcement of the Test squad to face Zimbabwe at Lord's next week

See no evil, hear no evil

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

When Andy Flower and Henry Olonga protested the "death of democracy", the Zimbabwe captain Heath Streak insisted that sport and politics could not mix

Vermeulen's 194 sets up big Zimbabwean total at Hove

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

A monumental innings of 194 not out by Mark Vermeulen, Zimbabwe's opening batsman, dominated the first day of their match against Sussex at Hove

Streak fit to play against Sussex

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Zimbabwe's captain, Heath Streak, will play against Sussex in the four-day tour match which starts at Hove tomorrow, after recovering from a back injury that dogged him throughout last week's game against Worcestershire

Stuart Carlisle: A personal gift

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Stuart Carlisle of Zimbabwe celebrated his 31st birthday in the best possible way: with a century under difficult circumstances to give Zimbabwe the lead in their match against Worcestershire at the New Road ground

Olonga: 'I nearly wavered in black-armband protest'

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Henry Olonga has revealed how he came close to backing out of his black-armband protest during the World Cup

Kabir snatches a tie as Zimbabwe falter at the last

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

Miracles are badly needed by Zimbabweans in general, but even a small one was denied to their cricket team today, as Kabir Ali snatched a tie for Worcestershire with two wickets in three balls with the scores level

Zimbabwe on the rack

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 06:53:33 GMT

The Zimbabwean tourists faced likely defeat at lunch on the final day of their match against Worcestershire