Zimbabwe Cricket
history is short but full of topsy turvy rides and comprises a number of heroes
who rose on occasions to keep their country’s flag flying high. Dave Houghton
was probably the first hero this South African nation witnessed in cricket.
Someone who stood like a father figure in initial years. Play till Stumps look
on the career of a cricketer who turns 63 today
 |
| Dave Houghton turns 63 today, here as a 34-year-old in 1992 World |
Eden Park, Auckland, January 21st
1996, Zimbabwe‘s dressing room was looking very nervous as New Zealand’s seamer
Robert Kennedy struck a full-length toe crushing delivery on their star batsman’s
left foot. The blow was such a vicious one that the whole ankle swelled up, but
considering his team was in the dicey situation he didn’t leave the ground. He
continued to bat with the swelled leg and few minutes before the close of play he brought
a fighting hundred, it was none other than David Houghton. In true sense, he
was Zimbabwe’s first star. Later that evening, the x-ray revealed that there
was a fracture in the foot, next morning he was sitting in the dressing room, heavily strapped but not before
he had taken Zimbabwe out of danger by a courageous hundred. Houghton had to
miss the 1996 world cup due to the injury.
 |
| Houghton at 1982 ICC Cup, Credit Getty Images |
David Laud Houghton played his first
Test at the age of 35 years and 117 days, at a stage of a career when the majority
of sportsperson hung up their boots. However, Houghton’s desire to play Test
cricket was so strong that he was ready for other sacrifices and he made a
brilliant hundred in his debut match against India. The hundred almost took
them to a remarkable win before the Test ended in a draw. Houghton was
Zimbabwe’s first Test captain as well, leading them to become 9th
Test nation at the time. He was the first man ever to captain and score a hundred
in the first Test of his country.
 |
| ICC Trophy 1982 which paved way for 1983 WC participation |
The winter of 1994 saw Houghton in the best form of his life, after scoring 58 in the first Test vs. Sri Lanka, Houghton grinded Sri Lankan attack to dust. Batting for almost 11 hours and 25 minutes and facing 541 balls during his epic 266, Houghton became the country’s first-ever double centurion. He batted with a remarkable authority, bringing his 150 and 200 with reverse sweep fours. In the next test, he made another impressive 142 defying Sri Lankan attack. Houghton’s batting was one of the standpoints in a dull series where the run rate was very low.
His finest hour though came against
England where he could not score big as a batsman but as a coach (He performed
the dual duties of player and coach for Zimbabwe for two years).He identified
the weakness of England’s best players and then he helped his team to
capitalize on it. The series is considered to be a remarkable one as Zimbabwe
drew 2 Tests 0-0 and then clean swept the One Day series by 3-0.
 |
| He led Zimbabwe to 1992 Worl cup, here at Sydney Harbour February 1992, Credit Getty Images |
A year later at the age of 40, Houghton
played his last Test against New Zealand at Bulawayo, thereby ending a career
which stretched for over 13 years. He scored 1464 in 22 Tests at a remarkable
average of 43.05 and is widely considered as one of the best players to have
played for Zimbabwe.
Houghton didn’t have a remarkable record
in limited-overs cricket but he played the best innings of his career in a limited over the encounter.
On a hot October afternoon in Hyderabad
in 1987, 30 years old Houghton who was playing as a keeper walked into the
field, awfully struck by the jam-packed stadium which was filled by 30 thousand
cricket crazy fans. In his words, he had never seen so many people at the game
of cricket and never thought that cricket had such a massive fan following. On
the ground, Zimbabwe was reeling down the barrel with 104-7 in reply of New
Zealand’s 242. Ian Butchart joined Houghton at no.9, both of them aimed to
reduce the target of defeat and started setting small targets. They started to
get these targets 120, then 140, then 175 and 200; they were running like their
lives depended on the match, slowly and steadily the partnership put Zimbabwe
insight of win with 221-7.
 |
| The series against England in late 1996 was a memorable one |
However, the tropical heat had sapped
the energy of Houghton who had scored 142 (off 137 balls) out of Zimbabwe’s 221
and looked almost going to crackdown due to dehydration at any time. At this
point, he decided to take runs in boundaries as he had no more energy to run.
In such a circumstance, he hit a ball near the long-on boundary where Martin
Crowe was stationed. Crowe ran back and covered a long distance to grab a
remarkable catch, Zimbabwe lost the game by 3 runs. Years later when
ESPNCricinfo conducted a poll, it was termed as the greatest inning in a losing
cause.
Houghton was also the part of one of the
greatest victories in Zimbabwe’s cricket history, four years earlier in 1983;
The Zimbabweans, who were playing their first game in the world cup, stunned a
star-studded Australian team.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSL5ZB9DsdQ, A link to 1987 WC Catch
Houghton retired in 1997 and then forged
a coaching career; first in Zimbabwe and then overseas.
Today as he turns 63 years old, there
can’t be a better time to applaud one of the greatest servants of Zimbabwe
cricket. He was an inspirational figure who guided and laid the foundation of
country’s best cricket generation which comprised of Flower brothers, Heath
Streak, Alistair Campbell and Murray Goodwin.
Comments
Post a Comment