One Night in Singapore

Singapore v Zimbabwe, T20 Tri-Series, Singapore, 3 October 2019

Scorecard

What luck! A two-day stopover in Singapore on our way back from the UK coincided with a T20 Tri-Series between the hosts, Zimbabwe and Nepal, offering me a first opportunity to watch cricket in Asia. My wife accepted the news of this holiday treat with her usual equanimity and indulgence, so we were off to the Indian Cricket Association Ground for the concluding match of the series, between Singapore and Zimbabwe.

It was effectively the final. Singapore had upset Zimbabwe in their earlier encounter, but had then lost to Nepal, who Zimbabwe beat twice. The return between Singapore and Nepal had been rained off, so the winners here would take the trophy.

We found a well-appointed club ground with a pavilion complex larger than most. We were welcomed warmly and given seats on the balcony, though our hosts were surprised to find themselves on the international tourist trail. We looked out from long on to the right-hander, the short straight boundaries giving us the feeling of being close to the pitch, which reflected the late-afternoon sun and offered more pace than I had expected.

The last time I saw Zimbabwe play they were on the brink of establishing themselves at the top level. It was at Taupo, New Year 2001, the first of a three-game ODI series. Zimbabwe batted first and reached 300, invariably a winning score in those days. Andy Flower led the way with 80, featuring a masterly display of the still novel art of reverse sweeping. New Zealand levelled the series in the second game, but Zimbabwe took the series with a one-wicket win in the third game,  Heath Streak making good use of Eden Park’s eccentric configuration with five sixes in a rapid 79 to take his side home.

Now, getting on for twenty years later, here they are, playing in front of a hundred or so (free admission), the only common factor between that night in Taupo and this one the poor lighting at both venues. Singapore went on from this tri-series to the T20 World Cup qualifiers. Not so Zimbabwe. They are banned from ICC competitions, so far have they sunk into the mire of corruption and maladministration.

This was a full T20 international as is any contest since the start of this year between two of the 105 countries affiliated to the ICC. This is ridiculous and will make T20I records absurd within a short time. Just today I saw a boastful tweet about Ireland’s Paul Stirling breaking the record for most T20 international runs in a year. Given that he is an experienced professional who has made the bulk of those runs against amateurs several grades below him, I should think so. When Wisden was the supreme arbiter of the game’s statistics it used to be assertive about deciding for itself what counted in which category. For years it included the England v Rest of the World series of 1970 as test matches, long after it was officially declared otherwise. I hope that CricInfo or another authoritative source produces a set of statistics that measures and celebrates the achievements of the top teams and players against each other.

Zimbabwe won the toss and put Singapore in. The bowling was opened by slow left-armer Simon Williams who conceded only one scoring shot in the over, so was inevitably taken off straight away. Opener Rohan Rangarajan was first out, in the fourth over to a good catch by keeper Mutumbami standing up to Wellington Masakadza’s slow left-arm, but otherwise Singapore made good use of the powerplay, finishing it at 67 for one.

Surendran Chandramohan had hit four sixes by this time. Tim David joined him in a second-wicket partnership of 90. David was born in Singapore, but went to university in Perth, where he has played for Western Australia Under-23s and has appeared in the BBL for the Perth Scorchers. He made 41 off 23 balls in Singapore’s win over Zimbabwe and was even quicker here, with 47 from 23.

When David was caught at long on from the last ball of the 11th over Singapore were 114 for two, with 200 a realistic ambition, but momentum left with him. Chandramohan had completed a fine fifty by that stage, but after David left managed only six from the last ten balls of his innings before falling to a very good catch at long off, Masakadza holding on to the ball despite tripping over an incoming deep extra cover as his did so. Masakadza was at the heart of everything good from Zimbabwe and ran out Dutta with a direct hit from mid off the very next ball, so Singapore now had two batsmen at the crease neither of whom had faced a ball.

Zimbabwe bowled much better in the second half of the innings, their line having been lamentably inconsistent earlier. Jakiel and Burl each bowled four overs in the second half of the innings for 27 and 23 respectively. But the difference in class between Chandramohan and, especially, David and the rest of the batting was clear. Only 63 came from the last nine overs, Prakash’s 22 from 15 the only contribution appropriate to the situation. One hundred and sixty-seven is never a bad score, but seemed short of the mark on a pitch that was good for batting, and so it proved.

Chakabva was out to the first ball of the fourth over, but the second-wicket partnership of 84 by Moor and Munyonga dominated without the need for exertion. Peter Moor finished with an unbeaten 92 to take Zimbabwe home by eight wickets with eight balls to spare. One feels for Moor, Masakadza and other Zimbabwe cricketers of obvious talent whose careers are frustrated by the malfeasance of the administrators.

This game was a real treat, and in a climate where cricket is better under evening lights than during the day (though under a full moon they wouldn’t have fallen foul of the rule that cut short play at Canterbury that the artificial light cannot be stronger than the natural light). I can also relay the startling news that, unlikely as it might seem, it is possible to play a game of T20 without a sound system, loud music or an announcer who regards himself as the prime attraction. I tell people this, but they don’t believe me.

The good, welcoming people of the Indian Cricket Association were proud to host this event and did it superbly, a pleasing reminder that wherever you are in the world the people who keep cricket clubs going are among the finest that humanity has to offer.