Zambia national cricket team

Zambia
Association Zambia Cricket Union
ICC status Associate (2003)
ICC region ICC Africa
WCL n/a (regional tournaments)
First international
Northern Rhodesia Northern Rhodesia v. MCC England
(Livingstone; 11 December 1930)
As of 14 September 2015

The Zambia national cricket team is the team that represents the country of Zambia in international cricket matches. It is administered by the Zambia Cricket Union, which became an associate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2003.[1] The team made its international debut in 1930, during the country's colonial period as Northern Rhodesia.[2] Regular matches against other East African sides began in the 1950s, and Zambia contributed players to the combined East African cricket team that was an ICC member in its own right for much of the remainder of the 20th century (later transformed into the East and Central Africa Cricket Conference). From the late 1990s onward, Zambia has been a regular participant in ICC Africa tournaments, although it has generally played in the lower divisions. The team has been promoted into the World Cricket League structure only once, placing fourth at the 2010 Division Eight tournament.[3]

History

Beginnings

Then Northern Rhodesia, cricket was introduced into Zambia from neighbouring Zimbabwe (then Southern Rhodesia), in the early 1900s. With the number of the British settlers relatively low compared to Southern Rhodesia, cricket was slow to develop.[4]

Despite the slow rate of development, the MCC travelled to Livingstone in December 1930 during their tour of South Africa,[5] easily beating Northern Rhodesia by 9 wickets in their first international. By the late 1930s, cricket in Northern Rhodesia was being integrated with cricket in Southern Rhodesia, though it was rare to see players from the North playing for Rhodesia.[4]

First formal organisation

After World War II, cricket was more formally organised with the formation of the Northern Rhodesia Cricket Union, and in 1948 an annual series of matches was begun against Southern Rhodesia. This lasted only until 1954 as the Southern Rhodesia side were much too strong to make any sort of decent contest. The North won only once, in 1952. One match was drawn and the other five all went the way of the South.[4]

With the formation of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland in 1954, cricket was fully integrated with Southern Rhodesia but investment was concentrated around Harare and Bulawayo, meaning that cricket began to decline in the country.[4] Nevertheless, a team was still organised to play Australia in October 1957[6] to start off the Australians tour of South Africa.[4] Australia scored 302/6 declared in their innings and Richie Benaud took 9/16 as the home team were dismissed for 85 in their first innings, but they managed to hold out for a draw in the two-day match.[7]

No further matches were played by Northern Rhodesia, but Rhodesia did play two first-class matches at Ek Park, Kitwe in 1962, one against an International XI and one against a Commonwealth XI.[8]

Zambia starts play

With Zambia gaining independence in 1964, cricket began a resurgence. Previously representative cricket had been confined to the white population due to Rhodesian cricket's links with apartheid South Africa, the non-white population was now allowed to take part. The Zambian Cricket Union was formed almost immediately and multi-racial cricket began. Zambia began taking part in the East African regional tournaments with Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda in 1968,[4] playing their first match as Zambia against Kenya in Nairobi in September 1968.[9] For instance, the 1975 Quadrangular was played in Kampala, sadly with rain spoiling much of the schedule, the scorecard from Zambia v Kenya 1975 [10] and the Zambian team photograph from that tour to Uganda.[11]

The 1970s were the most successful period for Zambian cricket. The country became a favoured destination for English sides. Gloucestershire toured in 1971, Glamorgan in 1972, the MCC in 1974[4] and Warwickshire in 1977.[12] However, in the early 1980s the government began to invest less money in sport and with athletics and soccer being of more interest, cricket was a low priority. A combined Minor Counties side toured in 1982, but this was the last match played by the national side until the mid-1990s, though some Zambian players did play as part of the East African cricket team and East and Central African cricket team.[4]

Modern era

By the mid-1990s, cricket was confined almost entirely to Lusaka,[4] but the national side returned to play in the African Cricket Association Championships in 1994.[13] Zambia took part in the Africa Cup in 2002, beating Namibia and Tanzania[14] and the Zambian Cricket Union became an associate member of the ICC in 2003, enabling the national side to take part in ICC tournaments for the first time.[1]

Zambia hosted the African Cricket Association Championship in 2004, the tournament being part of the qualification process for the 2005 ICC Trophy in Ireland. Zambia finished third behind Namibia and Uganda, qualifying them for the repêchage tournament.[15] This tournament took place in Kuala Lumpur in February 2005 and Zambia finished eighth and last after losing to Italy in the seventh place play-off.[16]

Zambia finished fourth in the World Cricket League Africa Region Division Two tournament in 2006, beating only Nigeria[17] and did better in the same tournament in 2008 when they finished third behind Botswana and Nigeria.[18] In 2010, they went better once again, winning the tournament. This then granted them entry into the 2010 ICC World Cricket League Division Eight.

Tournament history

ICC World Cricket League

ICC Trophy

World Cricket League Africa Region

Records

Notable players

The following players played for Northern Rhodesia/Zambia and also played representative cricket including first-class, List A cricket or minor counties:

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "The Home of CricketArchive".
  2. ↑ Other matches played by Northern Rhodesia – CricketArchive. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  3. ↑ Other matches played by Zambia – CricketArchive. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Encyclopedia of World Cricket by Roy Morgan, SportsBooks Publishing, 2007
  5. ↑ MCC in South Africa, 1930/31, Northern Rhodesia leg at CricketArchive
  6. ↑ Australia in South Africa, 1957/58, Northern Rhodesia leg at CricketArchive
  7. ↑ Scorecard of Northern Rhodesia v Australia, 19 October 1957 at CricketArchive
  8. ↑ First-class matches played on Ek Park, Kitwe at CricketArchive
  9. ↑ 1968 East African Quadrangular Tournament at CricketArchive
  10. ↑ "The Home of CricketArchive".
  11. ↑ "The Home of CricketArchive".
  12. ↑ Warwickshire in Zambia 1977/78 at CricketArchive
  13. ↑ 1994 African Cricket Association Championships at CricketArchive
  14. ↑ 2002 Africa Cup at CricketEurope
  15. ↑ 2005 ICC Trophy Africa qualifying Archived 24 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine. at tournament official website
  16. 1 2 Scorecard of Italy v Zambia, 27 February 2005 at CricketArchive
  17. 1 2 Points table for 2006 WCL Africa Region Division Two at CricketArchive
  18. 1 2 2008 Africa Division 2 Championship at CricketEurope
  19. ↑ Keith W Arnold at CricketArchive
  20. ↑ Derek Bruorton at CricketArchive
  21. ↑ Aubrey Dennis at CricketArchive
  22. ↑ Chris English at CricketArchive
  23. ↑ Roger Henderson at CricketArchive
  24. ↑ Wally Hitzeroth at CricketArchive
  25. ↑ Bernard Horton at CricketArchive
  26. ↑ Michael Lee at CricketArchive
  27. ↑ Hamish McLeod at CricketArchive
  28. ↑ Parbhu Nana at CricketArchive
  29. ↑ Majid Pandor at CricketArchive
  30. ↑ Yusuf Patel at CricketArchive
  31. ↑ CD Patel at CricketArchive
  32. ↑ Bimal Soni at CricketArchive
  33. ↑ Peter Stimpson at CricketArchive
  34. ↑ Jackie Ward at CricketArchive
  35. ↑ Yunus Badat at CricketArchive
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