Martin Williamson with a brief history of matches between Australia and Zimbabwe

Martin Williamson30-Apr-2007

Duncan Fletcher collects the Man-of-the-Match award after leading Zimbabwe to victory over Australia in 1983 © The Cricketer
Australia and Zimbabwe met 12 times before the first Test series, six of those in World Cup matches, and the first encounter gave Zimbabwe one of their finest moments when Duncan Fletcher led Zimbabwe to victory at Trent Bridge in 1983. That, however, remains their only win to date.1999-2000Wisden Almanack | Cricinfo
It took eight years after they had secured Test status for Zimbabwe to meet Australia in a Test, and when they did the result was much as expected. Australia won the match by ten wickets and then strolled to a 3-0 whitewash in the one-dayers. Both Steve and Mark Waugh made centuries in the Test and limited-overs games respectively, while Glenn McGrath picked up six Test wickets. Zimbabwe fought well, but were clearly outmatched and made basic mistakes at crucial moments. For the Australians it marked the start of a record-breaking run of success.
Test: Zimbabwe 0 Australia 1
ODIs: Zimbabwe 0 Australia 32000-01Wisden Almanack | ?Cricinfo
Zimbabwe arrived in Australia for the tri-nation Carlton Series on the back of a one-day series draw in New Zealand, and although they only won one of eight matches, they lost two others – one each against West Indies and Australia – by one run. The victory came when they bowled West Indies out for 91 defending 138, Heath Streak leading the way with 4 for 8, but in their final match they almost pulled off one of the great one-day wins, falling one run short of Australia’s 302 for 5 when needing 14 off the last over.2002In a sign of things to come, Australia pulled out of a proposed tour citing security and safety issues.2003-04Wisden Almanack | Cricinfo
Streak led a side already weakened by retirements, and while they lost both Tests – by an innings and 175 runs at Perth and by nine wickets at Sydney – they fought hard all the way, taking the game at the WACA into a fifth day. Matthew Hayden made the headlines there, breaking Brian Lara’s world record in scoring 380, but it was all rather low key. The public’s reaction to the unseasonable Test series was tepid, with an aggregate crowd of 18,363 over four days at the SCG and 24,051 over five days at the WACA a week earlier. Zimbabwe stayed on for the VB Series, which also included India, but failed to win any of their eight matches, although they within three runs of beating India thanks to hundreds from Sean Ervine and Stuart Carlisle.
Tests: Australia 2 Zimbabwe 02004Wisden Almanack | Cricinfo
Coming against backdrop of serious internal rows between Zimbabwe’s players and board, which meant that Tatenda Taibu replaced Streak as captain, and considerable political unrest, Australia again came under massive pressure to boycott the tour on moral grounds. In the end they went, although Stuart MacGill stayed away for reasons of conscience. That did not bother Dean Jones, who signed a contract to commentate with a promise not to mention politics. “I’m just there to watch the cricket and I don’t give a rat’s arse what he does about his country,” he said. The tour was supposed to include two Tests, but they were scrapped when Zimbabwe suspended itself from Tests on the eve of the first match. The three ODIs were brought forward, Australia won them all without ever looking that interested, and Ricky Ponting described the Zimbabwean team as “pretty ordinary”, which is Australian for terrible.
ODIs: Zimbabwe 0 Australia 3