Wisden
Tour review

Zimbabwe Triangular Series

Firdose Moonda


South Africa's players pose with the tri-series trophy, Australia v South Africa, tri-series final, Harare, September 6, 2014
South Africa's players pose with the tri-series trophy after beating Australia in the final © Associated Press
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1. South Africa 2. Australia 3. Zimbabwe
Triangular tournaments tend to provide the hosts with a decent chance of reaching the final. But Zimbabwe had a different goal. In a bid to attract muchneeded income, they invited two of the strongest one-day international teams for a fortnight of fun in Harare - though they were usually the only ones not having a good time.

The Zimbabweans came into the series as clear outsiders following a three match whitewash by South Africa in Bulawayo. Things immediately got worse. After they lost their first match by 198 runs to Australia, seamer Tinashe Panyangara was suspended from the rest of the competition and fined $1,000 for sharing among his team-mates an online highlights package of Mitchell Johnson bombarding England - a move considered disruptive to the dressingroom dynamic by coach Stephen Mangongo.Anoted disciplinarian,Mangongo also imposed a team curfew of 9.30, and pressed ahead with a controversial rotation policy, dubbed "nobody is safe". He and Givemore Makoni now made up a two-man selection panel, following the dismissal of Wayne James on the eve of the tournament - a decision believed to relate to the dropping of Brendan Taylor during the series against South Africa. Even when Zimbabwe pulled off a shock to beat Australia in a one-day international for the first time in 31 years, two players were axed for the next game.

Australia were not helped by uncertainty surrounding their captain's fitness. Michael Clarke, already managing a chronic back condition, reported a hamstring problem on arrival in Harare, and sat out the first two games. Then, on his return to the side, he aggravated the injury in a two-hour innings, and flew home. Zimbabwe succeeded in a tense run-chase - a result which briefly put them in contention for the final. While Clarke's absence exposed Australia's uncertainty on slow, turning tracks, South Africa's strategy was more assured. Their star was Faf du Plessis, entrusted with Jacques Kallis's old No. 3 spot. He scored three hundreds in four group games and, in the final, was a boundary away from becoming the first batsman to reel off four in a one-day international competition. He holed out, but could take solace in South Africa's first one-day tournament victory for 12 years. The 2015 World Cup would be played in entirely different conditions, but laying hands on a trophy was decent preparation.

Match reports for

1st Match: Zimbabwe v Australia at Harare, Aug 25, 2014
Report | Scorecard

2nd Match: Australia v South Africa at Harare, Aug 27, 2014
Report | Scorecard

3rd Match: Zimbabwe v South Africa at Harare, Aug 29, 2014
Report | Scorecard

4th Match: Zimbabwe v Australia at Harare, Aug 31, 2014
Report | Scorecard

5th Match: Australia v South Africa at Harare, Sep 2, 2014
Report | Scorecard

6th Match: Zimbabwe v South Africa at Harare, Sep 4, 2014
Report | Scorecard

Final: Australia v South Africa at Harare, Sep 6, 2014
Report | Scorecard

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