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A change in scenery for the 3rd ODI earlier today, as the sides moved from Guyana to St Vincent - a move that also brought a change in conditions that seems to have knocked Zimbabwe's gameplan for six, at least for today, as the Zimbabwe Collapse™ took over from the Calypso Collapso as the main event of the day. Having won the toss, Prosper Utseya inexplicably decided to put the West Indies in to bat on a pitch that was expected to favour the side batting first. The plan was as before: use Zimbabwe's spin barrage to wrap up the Windies. Today, though, the Windies weren't playing ball - while Zimbabwe were able to keep the lid on the West Indies for most of their innings, even removing dangermen Gayle (33) and Chanderpaul (58) before they could do too much damage, the final ten overs of the Windies innings proved horribly expensive. At 40 overs, the home side were on 153/4; at the close, they'd added a massive 92 runs to reach 245/9 at the close. Zimbabwe were taking regular wickets throughout this period, but that didn't seem to bother the tail-enders, who laid into the bowling with abandon. On a pitch where 220 would have been a decent total, West Indies went beyond to give themselves a good safety margin.

Not that they needed it in the end, as the Zimbabwe Collapse™ kicked in to ruin Zimbabwe's chances. The 3rd-ball dismissal of Vusi Sibanda was the first warning, and while Hamilton Masakadza (35) and Brendan Taylor (19) when on to build a decent 2nd-wicket stand of 51, it was all downhill from there, with a steady stream of wickets - mostly inflicted by Darren Sammy (career-best figures of 4/26) and Kemar Roach (3/28) - seeing Zimbabwe fall to a very poor 104 all-out and in the process posting the lowest ODI score at Arnos Vale ("beating" Pakistan's previous record of 117). That gave the Windies a 2-1 lead in the series and a serious shot in the arm ahead of the next match on Friday, while for Zimbabwe it's back to the tactical drawing board - and hopefully into the nets for the batsmen, who once again have let the side down. Full scorecard below the cut.
West Indies 245/9 (50 overs; Chanderpaul 58, Chigumbura 2/43), Zimbabwe 104 (31.5 overs; Masakadza 35, Sammy 4/26). West Indies win by 141 runs.

The pressure was all on the West Indies ahead of the 2nd ODI in Guyana today. Zimbabwe played out of their skins to win the T20 and 1st ODI, and with conditions as Providence again set to favour spin the early indications were that the Windies would have another fight on their hands - and with Zimbabwe winning the toss and opting to bat, the visitors had the chance to set the early running. Unlike the first ODI, though, shaky batting and some decent West Indies bowling made life difficult, starting with the loss of Vusi Sibanda (5) in the first over. The third-wicket partnership of Brendan Taylor (47) and Tatenda Taibu (31) eventually got things going, and while the run-rate was never anything to write home about, that pair and later Greg Lamb (23) and Elton Chigumbura (50) were able to push the side on to 206 before the side were bowled out with one ball remaining. Nikita Miller led the West Indies bowling figures with 4/43.

Prosper Utseya had suggested during the previous match that 240-250 was the target score for the Guyana pitch - that call had proved correct then, and that meant that Zimbabwe were 30 or us runs light this time around. While Zimbabwe's spinners can work miracles when the conditions suit them, there are some tasks beyond even them - and when Windies captain Chris Gayle came out swinging during the early overs if his innings it looked that the home side were going to strut home. The spin quartet of Utseya, Ray Price, Graeme Cremer and Greg Lamb were able to turn the screws, though, restricting the West Indies batsmens' ability to play - at one point, a full 30 overs passed without a boundary being scored as the required run-rate crept towards 7/over, a period where Zimbabwe appeared to be in full control of the match. In the 37th over, though, Gayle decided that he'd had enough of playing the waiting game, and with a mighty six, and a four off the following ball, signalled the beginning of the West Indies' fightback. His new-found aggression proved his undoing in the 42nd, as a swing & miss saw Cremer claim his scalp for an impressive 88, but some of his desire had already rubbed off on partner Narsingh Deonarine (65*) who went on to seal the victory with 13 balls to spare. In truth, Gayle and Deonarine were the only two players to show any capability of dealing with Zimbabwe's "death by spin" approach, and Deonarine was helped in the closing overs by some puzzling bowling decisions by Utseya that played into the West Indies' hands, but between the two of them they were enough to be Zimbabwe's undoing.

And so the sides head to St Vincent with the series ties, and Zimbabwe's chances of pulling ahead again most likely resting on the conditions of the St Vincent pitches. But Zimbabwe but up a hell of a fight here (in truth they probablbly should have won), once again signalling that they're no longer with whipping boys of world cricket. Full scorecard below the cut.
Zimbabwe 206 (49.5 overs; Chigumbura 50, Miller 4/43), West Indies 208/6 (47.5 overs; Gayle 88, Price 2/31). West Indies win by 4 wickets.

The first ODI between Zimbabwe and the West Indies took place at Providence Stadium in Guyana today, with Zimbabwe claiming another upset win against a West Indies side that just don't seem to know how to deal with them. Zimbabwe won the toss and opted to bat on a pitch that some had pegged as a batting track - although it soon became clear that it was behaving similarly to the Trinidad pitch on Sunday. Good news for Zimbabwe, then - and with the side's batsmen finally finding some form, a few determined efforts saw Zimbabwe reach an impressive 254/5 from their 50 overs, with only a 15-minute rain-break spoiling the fun. Vusi Sibanda, whose international form has come in for a lot of criticism of late, remained at the crease for most of the innings, amassing an impressive 95 and surviving a number of unusual happenings - although his eventual dismissal was the most bizarre of all, with Kemar Roach choosing the direct route to bowl him out: directly through his bat, which was broken in the process. Despite Sibanda's high total, though, it was arguably Hamilton Masakadza (41) and Tatenda Taibu (56) that were the impressive performers on the day, playing Sibanda's agressive partners and keeping the score ticking over while Sibanda adopted a much slower approach. Kieran Pollard led the West Indies bowling figures with 2/59.

That left the West Indies need 255 to win - a target that it was thought would prove too much on a low & slow pitch. The start of the Windies innings was delayed by another rain shower, but once play got under way openers Chris Gayle (57) and Adrian Barath (50) set about chasing it down - the pair put on 99 for the first wicket, keeping their side in touch with the required rate, while Shivnarine Chanderpaul continued the good work after Gayle's departure. Barath followed shortly thereafter with the score on 126/2, and from there the momentum began to shift in Zimbabwe's favour, as Chanderpaul was unable to find a steady partner and Zimbabwe continued to take regular wickets. Chanderpaul's efforts were almost enough, though, especially after Zimbabwe's spinners ran out of overs. With 5 overs remaining, West Indies required 52 runs to win, a target that most Zim fans watching thought would be out of reach - but as Price and Utseya came to the end of their spells, Elton Chigumbura and Shingi Masakadza came into the attack - and suddenly things didn't look quite so rosy. Shingi did get the scalp of Chanderpaul (70), but with the Windies needing 15 off the final over, he was the man handed the responsibility of seeing out the match - on his ODI debut - and was smashed for 10 off the first two balls of the over. Left with the Windies needing 4 runs from the final three balls, though, he redeemed himself in dramatic style, taking the wickets of Dwayne Smith (4) and Sulieman Benn (0) with the next two balls - and when Kemar Roach could only manage a single off the final ball, it was all over and Zimbabwe were on their way to their target of a winning the series. As for the Windies, it couldn't get any worse from here - could it? Zimbabwe will be hoping that it can, come the 2nd ODI on Saturday. Full scorecard below the cut.
Zimbabwe 254/5 (50 overs; Sibanda 95, Pollard 2/59), West Indies 252/9 (50 overs; Chanderpaul 70, S Masakadza 3/36). Zimbabwe win by 2 runs.

ZC have confirmed the fixture list for Zimbabwe's next international tour, the trip to West Indies ahead of the World T20. The tour will comprise an opening tour match, one T20 international, and five ODIs. Here's the itinerary:

February 26     Tour match, v UWI Vice Chancellor's XI  Barbados
February 28     Twenty20 International                  Trinidad
March 4         1st ODI                                 Guyana
March 6         2nd ODI                                 Guyana
March 10        3rd ODI                                 St Vincent
March 12        4th ODI                                 St Vincent
March 14        5th ODI                                 St Vincent

..and finally for now, the 3rd Youth ODI. Another win for Bangladesh, which secures them the 5-match series, but once again Zimbabwe didn't disgrace themselves. Batting first, Bangladesh were restricted to 186 after being bowled out in the final (41st) over, giving Zimbabwe a total which was definitely chasable. Edgar Jaure led the bowling with 2/10 from three overs - Zim seemed to be experimenting a little, and used 8 bowlers during the innings, with 7 of them claiming scalps. It was the batting that let the side down once again, though, as apart from Dean Mazhawidza (39) and Natsai Mushangwe (38), none of the Zimbabweans managed to build even a half-decent innings (no other batsman passed 20). The side were bowled out in the 40th over, 21 runs short of their target. Full scorecard below the cut.
Bangladesh 186 (40.2 overs; Mominul Haque 67, Jaure 2/10), Zimbabwe 165 (39.1 overs; Mazhawidza 39, Anul Hasan 4/27). Bangladesh U19 win by 21 runs.

Onto the second match, which was a painfully close affair. Zimbabwe again batted first, setting a target of 193, with the batting once again led by Dean Mazhawidza (42). The top order managed a decent display this time, but the tail once again collapsed and prevent Zim from setting a better target. It was almost enough, though, as Zim's bowling finally clicked - three top-ored ducks, and Bangladesh were in trouble. Tendai Chitara took 4/35, while Simon Mugava took 3/31 to very nearly secure victory for Zimbabwe - but the final wicket proved elusive, and Bangladesh reached the target with just over 3 overs - and only one wicket - to spare. Sooo close, and a good performance by Zimbabwe, bu it just wasn't to be on the day. Full scorecard below the cut.
Zimbabwe 193 (49.3 overs; Mazhawidza 42, Abul Hasan 5/26), Bangladesh 195/9 (46.2 overs; Noor Hossain 65, Chitara 4/35). Bangladesh U19 win by 1 wicket.

I'm just doing quick summaries of the first three Youth ODIs - didn't get to pay much attention to them due to illness. In general, though, the boys seem to have done quite well and have been unlucky to go without a win so far. The first ODI saw Zimbabwe's batting collapse in predictable fashion, with 7 scores in single figures. The side were given a fighting chance, though, by the innings of Dean Mazhawidza (77) and Gary Chirimuta (51), who helped the side to 204 before being bowled out in the final over. It wasn't quite enough, though, as Bangladesh chased down the total with 4 overs to spare - Zimbabwe's bowling had a hard time penetrating the Bangladeshi defences, and that eventually cost them. Simon Mugava was the best of the bowlers, taken 2/30 from his 10 overs. Full scorecard below the cut.
Zimbabwe 204 (49.4 overs; Mazhawida 77, Kamrul Islam 3/37), Bangladesh 208/4 (45.5 overs; Mominul Hawue 65*, Mugava 2/30). Bangladesh U19 win by 6 wickets.

While there were glimmers of hope in the first ODI, South Africa stamped their dominance on Zimbabwe in the 2nd and final match with a huge 212-run victory at Centurion. Zimbabwe won the toss and opted to field, giving the Proteas the batting practice they'd been hoping for from this series - JP Duminy top-scored with 111 not-out, while Graeme Smith (53) and Jaques Kallis (81) added half-tons of their own as South Africa powered to 331/5 from their 50 overs. Ray Price was the best of Zim's attack in both strikes and economy, but his 3/55 still wasn't cheap and Zimbabwe were left facing a mountain to climb.

It was't to be, either. Zim openers Hamilton Masakadza and Brenda Taylor both departed without scoring, while Tatenda Taibu's 52 was far ahead of the rest of the side - the next best score was a paltry 13, and that woeful display saw Zimbabwe bowled out for just 119. Albie Morkel took 3/20, while Charl Langeveldt and Roelof van der Merwe also took three apiece.

Not a good day at the office, then, and Zimbabwe also completed the short SA tour with injuries to a number of key players, a sign perhaps of too many games in a short period of time. Still, experience is experience, and if Zimbabwe are serious about a return to Test cricket then they'll need to play many more matches at this level. Full scorecard below the cut.
South Africa 331/5 (50 overs; Duminy 111*, Price 3/55), Zimbabwe 119 (34.3 overs; Taibu 52, Morkel 3/20). South Africa win by 212 runs.

Pitch worries turned out to be a non-event for yesterday's opening ODI between South Africa and Zimbabwe at Benoni, but while Zimbabwe were able to take some positives from the match the seemingly inevitable Zimbabwe Collapse™ once again featured strongly in the result. Zimbabwe won toss and put South Africa in to bat, a decision that paid quick dividends for the South Africans as Hashim Amla (top-scorer on 80) and captain Graeme Smith (35) put on 67 for the opening wicket; Amla and AB be Villiers (51) added another 90, while Alviro Petersen (39) and Albie Morkel (50) put on 86 for the 5th wicket. Those stands guided the Proteas to a good target of 295, for the loss of 5 wickets. Ray Price led the bowling figures from Zimbabwe, taking 3/44 in addition to being the most economical of Zimbabwe's bowlers.

As ever, Zimbabwe started poorly, with the first 5 wickets falling for just 48 runs on the board as Vermeulen, Chibhabha, Masakadza, Taylor and Chigumbura all failed to deal with the South African attack. That left the 6th-wicket pairing of Tatenda Taibu and Stuart Matsikenyeri with a mountain to climb to salvage some respectability from the game - a challenge they accepted with relish. The pair ran up the 2nd-highest ODI partnership by a Zimbabwean side, adding 188 runs before Matsikenyeri fell on 86. Taibu went on to score 103 not-out, his second ODI ton against South Africa - he remains the only Zimbabwean player to cross the 100 mark against the Proteas in ODIs. Proteas debuntant Ryan McLaren took 3/51 to lead the South African bowling.

The target was always going to be tough to reach, though, especially with the top-order in its usual disarray, and while Zim completed their 50 overs they fell short of the target, handing South Africa a 45-run victory. On the downside, our batting frailties have again been exposed; on the plus side, we came a lot closer that we probably deserved to, with the best batting and bowling figures from the match belonging to Zimbabwean players. That will give Graeme Smith and his side a little something to think about ahead of the 2nd ODI at Centurion tomorrow. Full scorecard below the cut.
South Africa 295/5 (50 overs; Amla 80, Price 3/44), Zimbabwe 250/6 (50 overs; Taibu 103*, McLaren 3/51). South Africa win by 45 runs.

Zimbabwe came within a whisker of a consolation in the final ODI in Chittagong, but three sixes in three balls by Naeem Islam, off the bowling of Chamu Chibhabha, ensured a win for the home side that was, if we're to be honest, probably deserved.

Batting first after being put in by Bangladesh, Zimbabwe would have repeated their dismal performance of the 4th ODI were it not for the hard work of one Brendan Taylor, who was one of only two batsmen to show some backbone as he put on an impressive 118 not-out from 125 balls. Next best was Elton Chigumbura's 38, and after that it was woeful all the way - no-one else passed 13 as Zimbabwe meekly finished their innings on 221/9. Hardly anything to write home about, but enough at least to give Zimbabwe's bowlers at target they could work with. Three of Bangladesh's bowlers took three wickets apiece, led by Shakib Al Hasan's 3/29.

For most of the Bangaldesh innings, it looked as though that 221 would be enough, too - Zimbabwe were able to take regular wickets and kept the run-rate below the required target for almost the whole innings, and when three wickets fell in quick succession in the 42nd and 43rd overs to leave Bangladesh on 179/8, it looked as though Zimbabwe had the game in the bag. Then came those three sixes, in the 48th over, and suddenly Zimbabwe were staring down the barrel as Bangladesh were left needing just 5 runs from 12 balls to win. It was only a matter of time, and Bangladeshi hero Islam (73*) knocked of the winning run at the end of the 49th over to secure the win. Full scorecard below the cut.
Zimbabwe 221/9 (50 overs; Taylor 118*, Shakib Al Hasan 3/29), Bangladesh 222/9 (49 overs; Naeem Islam 73*, Matsikenyeri 2/25). Bangladesh win by 1 wicket.