Sports / Cricket
Masakadza, Chakabva rise on ICC rankings
19 Nov 2014 at 06:56hrs | Views
Zimbabwe may have lost all the three Test matches against Bangladesh, but there are some few positives that came out of their performance in foreign conditions that were largely expected to favour the hosts.
The batting department did not fire from all cylinders but resistance was offered by some of those who took guard in the sub-continent.
Wicket-keeper batsman Regis Chakabva was a revelation as he scored his maiden test hundred. In all, he put up 317 runs at an average of 63.40.
Chakabva's success stemmed from his ability to handle the barrage of spin that Bangladesh threw at Zimbabwe.
His exploits moved him 24 places up the International Cricket Council (ICC) Test rankings to a career-high 68th.
His performance with the bat also leaves Chakabva an integral part of the Zimbabwe Test set-up.
Hamilton Masakadza was another player who cemented his credentials as the person Zimbabwe turns to in search of runs.
Masakadza finished the series with 356 runs in total, at an average of 59.33.
What was most impressive was his occupation of the crease despite the threat of the new ball each time he came in early to bat at first wicket down.
Masakadza is now ranked 39th - his highest ranking to date.
And when one factors in his career-best knock of 158 coupled with three wickets induced by his military-medium seamers, it was a rewarding series for him.
Opener Sikandar Raza Butt moved up 24 places to 62nd position at the back of 243 runs in the series, at an average of 40.50. Raza stuck to his attacking methods of accumulating runs, and although he sometimes got out at crucial periods of play, his desire to succeed stood out.
His part-time off spinners were called upon on multiple occasions when the frontline bowlers needed reprieve, claiming important breakthroughs in the process.
However, captain Brendan Taylor did not live to his billing.
Zimbabwe's premier batsman managed just 135 runs in six innings at an average of 27.
He still remains a vital cog in Zimbabwe's fortunes and will have another opportunity to be among the runs during the five-match One-Day International (ODI) series, where he will be less the burden of captaincy as Elton Chigumbura will take over that role.
Tinashe Panyangara put up a spirited bowling performance on pitches that did not offer him much assistance. His 14 wickets kept Zimbabwe in the hunt and put him 34th on the ICC bowling rankings, up eight places.
Going into the five ODIs, Zimbabwe will be buoyed by the inclusion of some fresh faces, all of whom are unscarred by the Test defeats.
The batting department did not fire from all cylinders but resistance was offered by some of those who took guard in the sub-continent.
Wicket-keeper batsman Regis Chakabva was a revelation as he scored his maiden test hundred. In all, he put up 317 runs at an average of 63.40.
Chakabva's success stemmed from his ability to handle the barrage of spin that Bangladesh threw at Zimbabwe.
His exploits moved him 24 places up the International Cricket Council (ICC) Test rankings to a career-high 68th.
His performance with the bat also leaves Chakabva an integral part of the Zimbabwe Test set-up.
Hamilton Masakadza was another player who cemented his credentials as the person Zimbabwe turns to in search of runs.
Masakadza finished the series with 356 runs in total, at an average of 59.33.
What was most impressive was his occupation of the crease despite the threat of the new ball each time he came in early to bat at first wicket down.
And when one factors in his career-best knock of 158 coupled with three wickets induced by his military-medium seamers, it was a rewarding series for him.
Opener Sikandar Raza Butt moved up 24 places to 62nd position at the back of 243 runs in the series, at an average of 40.50. Raza stuck to his attacking methods of accumulating runs, and although he sometimes got out at crucial periods of play, his desire to succeed stood out.
His part-time off spinners were called upon on multiple occasions when the frontline bowlers needed reprieve, claiming important breakthroughs in the process.
However, captain Brendan Taylor did not live to his billing.
Zimbabwe's premier batsman managed just 135 runs in six innings at an average of 27.
He still remains a vital cog in Zimbabwe's fortunes and will have another opportunity to be among the runs during the five-match One-Day International (ODI) series, where he will be less the burden of captaincy as Elton Chigumbura will take over that role.
Tinashe Panyangara put up a spirited bowling performance on pitches that did not offer him much assistance. His 14 wickets kept Zimbabwe in the hunt and put him 34th on the ICC bowling rankings, up eight places.
Going into the five ODIs, Zimbabwe will be buoyed by the inclusion of some fresh faces, all of whom are unscarred by the Test defeats.
Source - Zimcricket
