Rhodesia cricket team

The Rhodesia cricket team played first-class cricket and represented originally the British colony of Southern Rhodesia and later the unilaterally independent state of Rhodesia which became Zimbabwe.

Honours

* Currie Cup (0) -
* Gillette/Nissan Cup (1) - 1977-78

Club history

Rhodesia competed in South Africa's Currie Cup championship from 1905, but its appearances were sporadic at first. Having lost their inaugural match to Transvaal by an innings and 170 runs, Rhodesia did not play in the Currie Cup again until 1929-30. They also played in 1931-32, winning four out of five matches, but losing the cup to Western Province under the points system then in use. The Rhodesian team then did not return until 1946-47, after which they at last played regularly.

Noted Rhodesian players included Colin Bland and Mike Procter but the team never managed to win the Currie Cup. The team played in 1979-80 as "Zimbabwe-Rhodesia" and left the competition for good at the close of that season, after Zimbabwe officially became independent.

As Rhodesia fielded a whites-only side during South Africa's apartheid era, its players were eligible to represent South Africa in Test cricket until South Africa was banished from international cricket at the end of the 1960s.

Venues

Rhodesian venues included:
* Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo (March 1910 - present): Matabeleland venue since 1994
* Salisbury/Harare Sports Club (March 1910 - present): Mashonaland venue since 1993
* Raylton Club, Bulawayo (occasional venue Dec 1924 - Jan 1949)
* Old Hararians A Field, Salisbury (used once in March 1950)
* Bulawayo Athletic Club (used once in Nov 1951): a Matabeleland venue since 1994
* Police A Ground, Salisbury (Oct 1957 - Dec 1968)
* Police B Ground, Salisbury (Nov 1969 - Jan 1980)

References

* "South African Cricket Annual" – various editions
* "Wisden Cricketers' Almanack" – various editions