Zimbabwe’s ODI series loss to Netherlands, a blip or reality check?

Zimbabwe have lost an ODI series against Netherlands, something everything and their cousin did not expect them to do.

Away from the glitz and glamour of the World Cup, only available on a one camera stream via YouTube, the Chevrons walked in, with wind in their sails after walloping another associate nation, UAE 4-0 in Harare.

In the first match against Netherlands, the top order was a mess, a disaster, and quite frankly an embarrassment not worth a call-up to international cricket. They played at test cricket pace, that reference only because they scored so slowly and did little to put our bad balls. It was a bunch of swing and misses and bad shots as the call of the day.

That tail-ender Kyle Jarvis towards the end showed how fair a pitch it was set it up for the courageous Dutch debutants Tobias Vissee and Max O’dowd to flay the bowling attack. And destroyed they were by a determined Netherlands side.

The second match saw better performances with the bat. There were three half centuries, Sikandar Raza finally giving us a performance, something we have rarely seen since the Qualifier in March 2018. Brendan Taylor and Craig Ervine also got in among the runs but the opening partnership of Hamilton Masakadza and Solomon Mire never stuck around for long enough. The batting was slow up front leaving often a lot to do in the deep end.

290-6 looked like it was a thing. 290-6 was another thing. Sean Williams claimed for wickets but there just wasn’t enough to endanger the batsman.

This felt like a Zimbabwe side, unsure, uninterested and even unwilling at times. It was the kind of performance that would have been roundly booed at Castle Corner at the Holy Grail that is Harare Sports Club.

Was it a blip? Was it a dent?

First of all, Brendan Taylor with two half centuries and Sean Williams with six wickets should be lauded for their returns in this series.

But as we watch Afghanistan play with determination and skill against a powerful super top-tier India, showing application in bowling, looking like they have a plan, you wonder if Zimbabwe has been drifting further from competing with at least with the sides outside the top six in World Cricket.

Bangladesh destroyed a Windies attack that has put the fear of deities in our lot.

A loss of this nature, can be explained away by some quarters saying, hey, we don’t get enough cricket, regular or otherwise. But that said, we have very experienced players who can’t continue behaving like walking excuses for poor returns.

At some point, it was, hey, we are not getting paid. Now they get paid USD. What is it now?