Southern Rocks

The Southern Rocks was one of five Zimbabwean cricket franchises. They were a first-class cricket team, based in the Masvingo and Matabeleland South area. They played their home matches at Masvingo Sports Club in Masvingo.[1] They ceased to play after the 2013-14 season. In their 47 first-class matches they won 3, lost 27, and drew 17.[2]

Southern Rocks
Personnel
Captain Chamu Chibhabha
Coach Monte Lynch
Overseas player(s) Jon Kent (T20 only)
Alex Obanda (T20 only)
Team information
ColorsFirst-class:         
List A & T20:         
Founded2009
Home groundMasvingo Sports Club, Masvingo
Capacity1,000
History
First-class debutMountaineers
in 2009–10
at Mutare Sports Club, Manicaland
Official website[www.southernrockscricket.co.zw]

Franchise History

Following the decline of the standard of cricket in Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Cricket used a new set of teams for all the first-class, List A and the Twenty20 formats of the game. The Southern Rocks were based in Masvingo and Matabeleland South area.[3]

2009-10 Logan Cup

The Southern Rocks debut in the Logan Cup was disastrous. The Rocks played 12 matches and lost six, while drawing six.[4] These included heavy defeats such as a 234-run defeat to Mash Eagles, an 8-wicket loss to Mountaineers, a defeat by an innings and 214 runs to Matabeleland Tuskers, an innings and 87 runs defeat to the Tuskers, an innings and 114 runs defeat to Mountaineers, an innings and 19 runs defeat to Mashonaland Eagles, etc.[5] The team's first draw was against Mid West Rhinos, achieved at Masvingo Sports Club.[6]

2009-10 Faithwear Metbank One-Day Competition

Southern Rocks lost their first ever List A match to Mountaineers by 5 wickets at Mutare Sports Club,[7] but duly bounced back to finish in fourth place in the group stage and qualify for the semi-final.[8] In the semi, they were crushed by Mountaineers by seven wickets to eliminate them from the competition, despite Steve Tikolo providing some resistance to Mountaineers with a 37 in a Rocks total of 131 all out.[9]

2009-10 Stanbic Bank 20 Series

Rocks had a worse Stanbic Bank Twenty20 tournament in 2009-10 and finished in last place with just 1 win and four losses from five matches.[10] Their only win came in a 43-run win over Matabeleland Tuskers, which was possible due to excellent batting from openers Chamu Chibhabha and Sikandar Raza.[11]

2010-11 Logan Cup

The Southern Rocks again had a very poor Logan Cup, with five defeats from 12 matches, and seven draws.[12]

2010-11 Stanbic Bank 20 Series

The Rocks started the series with a bang. In an attempt to win the championship, the Rocks purchased former West Indian legend Brian Lara, former English fast bowler Ryan Sidebottom, and Zimbabwean-born Hampshire batsman Sean Ervine.[13] The first match Rocks played was lost by 28 runs, despite Lara top-scoring with 65 on Twenty20 debut.[14] Eventually, the Rocks finished fourth in the group pool.[15]

As the Rocks did not proceed to the semis, they fought for third place in the group with Matabeleland Tuskers. In that match, they were crushed by nine wickets with Charles Coventry leading the way with a boundary-laden 67*.[16]

2011-12 Logan Cup

The Rocks currently are having an awful Logan Cup, being at the bottom of the group with 4 defeats from 4 matches.[17]

2011-12 Coca-Cola Pro50 Championship

The Southern Rocks are currently third in the group with 2 victories from 5 games.[18] They have shown promise, including a remarkable tied game against Mid West Rhinos, with Rocks captain Tatenda Taibu scoring a hundred.[19]

2011-12 Stanbic Bank 20 Series

Southern Rocks had an awful tournament, finishing in last place, without a single victory out of four games. The lost three, and one resulted in a no-result.[20] They thus missed out on a place in the semi-finals, with Mashonaland Eagles sealing fourth place.[21]

2014 suspension

In April 2014 the Southern Rocks franchise was suspended. From the 2014-15 season Southern Rocks will no longer compete, and there will be only four domestic teams in Zimbabwe.[22]

Players
Main article: List of Southern Rocks first-class cricketers

When the franchise was debuting in the 2009-10 Logan Cup, the team consisted of Zimbabwean international and domestic players, although some foreign internationals already started taking part, for example, Kenya's Steve Tikolo and Thomas Odoyo. Key players included Chamu Chibhabha (captain), Erick Chauluka, rising star and batting talent Craig Ervine, spinner Tafadzwa Kamungozi, Keith Kondo, fast bowler Blessing Mahwire, wicket-keeper batsman Alester Maregwede, spinner Hilary Matanga, Odoyo, Tikolo, and rising young fast bowler Brian Vitori.[23]

For the 2009-10 Stanbic Bank 20 Series, the Rocks made their first big signings when they purchased Hampshire County Cricket Club stalwart batsman, Sean Ervine,[24] and former Australian cricketer Ian Harvey.[25]

Brian Lara had a shock second coming when he played for the Southern Rocks in the Stanbic Bank 20 Series and scored 65 top-scoring for his team on Twenty20 debut. After 99 runs from 3 innings, he left citing commitments elsewhere.

They started the 2010-11 season with a bang. In a bid to win the 2010-11 Stanbic Bank 20 Series, the Rocks signed former West Indian legend Brian Lara, (who holds the record for the two highest ever scores in Test cricket: 400* and 375), and a former English great fast bowler Ryan Sidebottom. Sean Ervine also was retained from the previous season.[26] Lara made his Twenty20 debut and scored 65 on his debut, top-scoring with 65, and added a further 34 runs from 2 innings,[27] before leaving citing commitments elsewhere.[28] Nevertheless, Southern Rocks finished third in the series.

For the 2011-12 season, the only substantial overseas signings were Jon Kent of South Africa and the Kenyan Alex Obanda.[29] The results were not so bright, with Southern Rocks finishing bottom of the group pool at the 2011-12 Stanbic Bank 20 Series and thus getting eliminated.[30] Their coach was former English O.D.I. cricketer, Monte Lynch.[31]

Home stadium

The Southern Rocks played their home matches in the Masvingo Sports Club, Masvingo.[32]

Administration

References
  1. Price, Steven (2009-05-08). "Zimbabwe rips up domestic structure and starts again". Cricinfo. ESPN. Retrieved 2010-11-23.
  2. "Southern Rocks playing record". CricketArchive. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
  3. Price, Steven (2009-05-08). "Zimbabwe rips up domestic structure and starts again". Cricinfo. ESPN. Retrieved 2010-11-23.
  4. Logan Cup 2009/10 / Points table ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 11 December 2011
  5. Logan Cup 2009/10 / Results ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 11 December 2011
  6. Logan Cup Southern Rocks v Mid West Rhinos First-class match 2009/10 season at Masvingo Sports Club Scorecard ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 11 December 2011
  7. Faithwear Metbank One-Day Competition Mountaineers v Southern Rocks List A match 2009/10 season at Mutare Sports Club Scorecard ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 11 December 2011
  8. Faithwear Metbank One-Day Competition 2009/10 / Points table ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 11 December 2011
  9. Mountaineers thrash Rocks to enter final ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 11 December 2011
  10. Stanbic Bank 20 Series 2009/10 / Points table ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 11 December 2011
  11. Rhinos and Rocks draw level ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 11 December 2011
  12. Castle Logan Cup 2010/11 / Points table ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 11 December 2011
  13. Rocks sign Lara, Sidebottom for T20 ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 11 December 2011
  14. Mountaineers, Eagles open with wins ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 11 December 2011
  15. Stanbic Bank 20 Series 2010/11 / Points table ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 11 December 2011
  16. Coventry guides nine-wicket win ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 11 December 2011
  17. Castle Logan Cup 2011/12 / Points table ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 11 December 2011
  18. Coca-Cola Pro50 Championship 2011/12 / Points table ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 11 December 2011
  19. Taibu, Matsikenyeri hundreds light up Pro50 Championship ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 11 December 2011
  20. Stanbic Bank 20 Series 2011/12 / Points table ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 11 December 2011
  21. Eagles seal fourth semi-final berth ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 11 December 2011
  22. ZC heeds ICC advice, Southern Rocks to be dissolved
  23. Southern Rocks Squad Zimbabwe Domestic Season, 2009/10 ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 10 December 2011
  24. Southern Rocks Squad Stanbic Bank 20 Series, 2009/10 ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 10 December 2011
  25. Harvey hopes use Twenty20 experience ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 10 December 2011
  26. Rocks sign Lara, Sidebottom for T20 ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 10 December 2011
  27. Player Profile:Brian Lara ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 10 December 2011
  28. The top ten shock second comings ESPN. Retrieved 10 December 2011
  29. Zim awaits Stanbic T20 explosion News Day. Retrieved 10 December 2011
  30. Rocks Out Of The Stanbic T20 Semi-Finals as Mash Eagles seal fourth place Zimbabwe Cricket Official Website. Retrieved 10 December 2011
  31. Monte Lynch to coach Southern Rocks ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 11 December 2011
  32. Masvingo Sports Club Ground Page ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 11 December 2011
  33. Monte Lynch to coach Southern Rocks ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 11 December 2011
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