Gavin Ewing

An offspinning allrounder and a notable survivor on Zimbabwe's domestic cricket scene despite all the ructions of recent years, Gavin Ewing made a mark in his very first Logan Cup match, striking a second-innings hundred for Matabeleland against Mashonaland in February 2002. His domestic form led to a call-up for the 2003-04 Australia tour. He had also been selected in the national squad to play the touring Pakistanis in 2002-03 only nine months after making his first-class debut, but didn't play.

Ewing comes from a keen cricketing family. His father represented Eastern Province and was a big factor in developing Ewing's bowling. In 1999, he played in the Under-19 World Cup in Sri Lanka and finished in the top ten wicket-takers. He also played club cricket in England for two seasons, fulfilling all the credentials for a spot in the national academy - or so you would have thought. After two weeks there in 2001, he was thrown out by Dave Houghton for being unfit and overweight. Told to come back in better shape, he reapplied the following year, but was rejected and left to build his reputation in domestic cricket.

An aggressive middle-order batsman, he is more comfortable off the back foot, is a strong puller and hooker, and took 71 off Bangladesh in his second Test. As a bowler he does not spin the ball much, relying more on accuracy. He was one of the original 15 "rebels" who fell out with the Zimbabwe Cricket Union in mid-2004, but settled his differences with the Board and returned to the national side when England toured in November.

He remained in the frame for New Zealand and India's visits in 2005, but the state of cricket in Zimbabwe deteriorated as the country around it fell apart, and by 2006 Ewing had departed for the United Kingdom. He spent a season playing for Paignton in the Premier Division of the Devon Cricket League, briefly pursued a club contract in New Zealand, and then spent the 2008 summer playing club cricket for Poloc in Scotland.

In September of that year he won his long-running court case against Zimbabwe Cricket for payment of outstanding match fees dating back to 2005. In April 2009, less than a week after an ICC report stressed the need for Zimbabwe Cricket to patch up its differences with former players, Ewing insisted he still had not been paid and ruled out a return for Zimbabwe, but did at least find his way back into the revamped domestic structure with Matabeleland Tuskers. He appeared to have found a happy home there, captaining the side in all formats and playing a strong part in their Logan Cup triumph in 2010-11 - though injury meant he missed the dramatic victory over Mountaineers in the final.
Liam Brickhill June 2011