ould be gorgeous things if played in a Sunday afternoon friendly between Higher Faffing and Much Binding in the Marsh. Here at Old Traffo

It has been some time since Zimbabwe had a lasting impact on a global ICC tournament, with the 2003 World Cup the last time they progressed beyond the opening round. But Zimbabwe have provided some of the greatest shocks on the world stage over the years in both the 50-over format and Twenty20.Can they add to this list of prized scalps in this years World T20 in India? Fletcher fires to down AussiesPlaying their first match in their first ever World Cup in 1983, Zimbabwe did the unthinkable, beating Australia by 13 runs at Trent Bridge. Future Ashes-winning England head coach, but Zimbabwe captain at the time, Duncan Fletcher, struck 69 from 84 balls as Zimbabwe admirably negotiated an imposing Aussie attack of Dennis Lillee, Jeff Thomson and Geoff Lawson - losing only two wickets to the trios combined 34 overs - to post 239-6 from their 60 overs. Duncan Fletcher, pictured batting for Zimbabwe at the 1983 World Cup Fletcher backed-up his batting exploits with 4-42 with the ball, his wickets accounting for four of Australias top five batsmen. The only one he didnt dismiss, Kepler Wessels, struck 76 and Rod Marsh hit an unbeaten 50, but it wasnt enough, with Australia finishing on 226-7. A week later at the old County Ground in Southampton, Australia earned revenge, beating Zimbabwe by 32 runs, although 84 from another familiar name in cricket coaching in England since, Dave Houghton, saw Zimbabwe come close to repeating the trick. Zimbabwe team guide Details on Zimbabwe squad for 2016 ICC World Twenty20 England edged out in low-scorerHoughton would have a small role to play in another of Zimbabwes greatest upsets as they beat England by nine runs in the 1992 World Cup. This result was all the more surprising given the form of the two sides going into the game. Admittedly England had just suffered a heavy seven-wicket defeat to New Zealand in their last outing, but that was in a clash of the tournaments two unbeaten teams after the first six games, while Zimbabwe were winless and hadnt passed a score of 200 in their previous five contests. Despite losing to Zimbabwe, England went on to make the final of the 1992 World Cup, where they lost to Pakistan The trend continued as Zimbabwe could only muster a score of 134 from their 46.1 overs, with captain Houghton earning the dubious honour of top-scoring with 29 - Ian Botham (3-23) and Richard Illingworth (3-33) sharing three wickets apiece. The warning signs were there when Graham Gooch fell first ball lbw to Eddo Brandes (4-21), the first of four strikes for him as England slipped to 43-5. Alec Stewart (29) and Neil Fairbrother (20) seemed to have steadied the ship, putting on 52 together, but another collapse came as the final five wickets fell for 30 runs. England would recover to reach the final, but lost out to Pakistan.Zimbabwe steal Super Six spotEngland would come a cropper again thanks to Zimbabwe in 1999, suffering an embarrassing group stage exit at their home World Cup. While England won the solitary meeting between the two sides by seven wickets, Zimbabwes terrific form in the tournament, securing wins over Kenya, India and most crucially South Africa, saw them qualify for the Super Six stage at Englands expense. Neil Johnson celebrates a wicket during Zimbabwes crucial 1999 World Cup win over South Africa Defeat for England against India in their final group game could still have sent them through provided the unbeaten-at-the-time South Africa got the better of Zimbabwe. But a Neil Johnson-inspired Zimbabwe won by 48 runs and England ultimately crumbled to a 63-run defeat the following day to dump them out. Johnson - opening the batting - struck 76 as Zimbabwe scored 233-6 in their 50 overs, before taking Gary Kirstens wicket first ball and picking up 3-27 opening the bowling. He and Heath Streak (3-35) tore through the Proteas top order, reducing them to 40-6, and while scores of 52 for both Shaun Pollock and Lance Klusener briefly threatened their superiority, Zimbabwe ultimately secured a comfortable win and advanced to the next stage of a World Cup for the first time. Were just a few weeks away from the start of the ICC World Twenty20. Who will walk away with the trophy? Taylors T20 triumphResponsible for the first ever 50-over upset, Zimbabwe repeated the trick in T20 cricket, once again besting Australia. At the first ever World T20 in South Africa in 2007, Zimbabwe played an Australia side accused of not taking the newest format of the game seriously enough. They had been involved in the first ever international T20 against New Zealand, but it was a game with retro 1980s kits, outmoded facial hair and a mock underarm delivery by Glenn McGrath. And in the second ever T20I, the Aussies were hammered by 100 runs by England in Southampton before the 2005 Ashes. Any excuse to bring that up… Brendan Taylor is mobbed by team-mates after scoring the winning runs against Australia in the 2007 World T20 But still, this was an Australian side sporting the likes of Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden, Ricky Ponting, and was expected to see off Zimbabwe with relative ease. Not so, those three were dismissed inside the first four overs as seamers Elton Chigumbura (3-20) and Gary Brent (2-19) ran through Australia, reducing them to 138-9. The run-chase was a tense affair with Zimbabwe on 75-4 just past the midway mark when rain interrupted proceedings, but a nerveless 60 from 45 balls by Brendan Taylor saw the side home with one ball to spare.Taylor tonks back-to-back tonsTalking of Taylor, the 2015 World Cup is hardly worth including in this list but for back-to-back hundreds by the now-Nottinghamshire batsman. It certainly cant be classed as a triumphant tournament for Zimbabwe, with five defeats from their six games - only a win over the UAE to their name - consigning them to another early exit. But other than a blistering 138-ball double hundred by Chris Gayle against them, Zimbabwe were never embarrassed. In fact, well-placed at 128-3 chasing just 236 to beat Pakistan, they should have added a second triumph to their tally. Taylor celebrates one of his back-to-back hundreds at the 2015 World Cup On top of that, Taylor had a highly impressive tournament - hitting 121 off 91 balls in a five-run defeat to Ireland and an even classier 138 off 110 against India in another losing cause. Taylors one-day average improves from 34.82 to 46.00 in tournament play, but his India effort was his last international knock, with the 30-year-old batsman moving to England to continue his career in county cricket. His skills will be sorely missed by Zimbabwe at the World T20.Sky Sports is the only place you can watch all 35 games games in 27 days of the 2016 ICC World T20, starting with Zimbabwe v Hong Kong on Tuesday 8th March at 9am on Sky Sports 2 HD. Also See: ICC World T20 fixtures ICC World T20 squads WATCH: Best of 2014 World T20 Get Sky Sports Bruce Irvin Jersey . The Clippers were angry about blowing a big lead; the Kings didnt like being in that kind of hole and nearly digging themselves out only to lose. 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Somerset 339 for 7 (Abell 135, Trescothick 60, Bailey 4-53) v LancashireScorecard When the 2015 season ended Tom Abell and Tom Bailey shared more than a first name; both cricketers were entitled to feel that their careers were launched. Abells 726 Championship runs had included a maiden century against Hampshire on a September day which many Somerset supporters will recall as long as they can remember anything. Baileys 35 Division Two wickets had proclaimed the arrival of a fine seam bowler.Since then Mother Cricket, that strange, mystical figure often cited by the old coaches, has treated both players with something less than maternal kindness. Abell has been injured and out of form; Baileys torn side muscle has kept him out of Lancashires team since the first Roses match ended in early June.And yet, on the last day of August Abell and Bailey found that what this game sometimes denies, it also restores to its most faithful servants. Somersets stylish opener made 135 in a match his team may need to win if they are to keep the pressure on Middlesex and Yorkshire at the top of the table. And as their rivals wickets fell at Edgbaston and Southampton the band of travelling fans could be encouraged by a scoreboard which read 267 for 2.Once again Somerset supporters are daring to hope and on afternoons like this Abell threatens to fulfil their lovely dreams.The mood among Lancashire loyalists, whose side is not yet safe from completing a hat-trick of relegations, was somewhat different. Theres a members forum here on the second evening and one or two of the hierarchys more trenchant critics may have been wondering how much it cost to rent a set of stocks. After all, at 5.45 pm their team had claimed two wickets and did not really look like collecting any more. But the taking of the new ball under floodlights and the accuracy of Bailey when bowling with it wrenched the game out of what had seemed a clear pattern of Somerset dominance.Four wickets fell to Bailey in seven balls. Both James Hildreth and Jim Allenby fell to catches at second slip by Alviro Petersen; Abell, having faced 249 balls and hit 19 fours was cramped for room and edged to Croft. Lewis Gregory took a small stride forward and his first ball became his last. Indeed, had Toby Lester clung on to a catch at midwicket off Craig Overton, Bailey would have had a hat-trick.One of North Devons finest did not capitalise on his reprieve. Instead, he lost his off stump when playing down the wrong line to Jarvis in the next over and Somerset hadd lost five wickets for 20 runs.dddddddddddd They therefore were deeply grateful that Peter Trego played one of his typically uncluttered innings, making 49 not out off 40 balls as Lancashire bowlers became giddy with success and overpitched.But when both Lancashires revival and Somersets riposte have been given their due this day was made memorable by the batting of Abell, who decorated the last day of August with one of the finer innings likely to be seen in this years County Championship.Albeit that he needed good fortune in the opening overs of the day and was dropped in the gully by Rob Jones when 32, the later sections of his century against what seemed a tired Lancashire attack had echoes of his maiden hundred against Hampshire almost a year ago. If Somerset supporters had to swap the Quantocks gentle hills for Traffords dark-roomed towers, that did not lessen the pleasure they derived from watching this most cultured of cricketers drive Lester through midwicket in the 13th over or stroke seven boundaries off Simon Kerrigan in the overs immediately after lunch.Abell batted with all the easy grace one might expect from his countys heir to Lionel Palairet and Peter Wight. And if we broaden the West Country horizon, it is difficult to imagine that even Tom Graveney played better shots on what some pros still refer to as the posh side of the wicket. Abells cover drive off Kerrigan or his back foot four off Bailey were tiny essays in footwork and poise. In each case, the ball bowled became the mere context of the stroke.He had help, of course, and it came from two of this game most respected professionals. Marcus Trescothick helped him put on 134 for the first wicket, Somersets best opening stand of the season, before his pull cum hook sent the ball to deep backward square leg where Simon Kerrigan leapt to take a two-handed ctach above his head before collapsing in a delighted heap. Then Chris Rogers played with understated efficiency before departing to a leg-side strangle to give Jordan Clark his second slightly fortuitous wicket of the day.Yet perhaps it was right that these two elder statesmen left Old Trafford to their younger colleague. Some of Abells strokes would be gorgeous things if played in a Sunday afternoon friendly between Higher Faffing and Much Binding in the Marsh. Here at Old Trafford they transcended every context and made another day glorious. Wholesale Hoodies NFL Shirts Outlet Jerseys NFL Wholesale Cheap NFL Jerseys Free Shipping Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Cheap NFL Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '