ZIMBABWE’S prime batsmen and bowlers hit top form at the right time ahead of the senior men’s squad tours of Europe and Asia.

Zimbabwe leave this Sunday for Scotland for two One Day Internationals on the 15th and 17th before travelling to the Netherlands for three One Day games on June 21, 23 and 25.

Then Zimbabwe will head out to Sri Lanka for five ODIs and a one-off Test match.

But the home tour by Canada and the last four Pro50 Championship domestic matches have added more value to the national team with some encouraging individual brilliances –a thing that makes the technical department happy, at least.

Midlands Rhinos batsman Malcolm Waller ended the Pro50 Championship competition as the leading run scorer with 402 runs in six innings at an average of 80.40 including two centuries, 115* and 113, and two half centuries.

Craig Ervine, the Bulawayo Metropolitan Tuskers batter, chipped in with 280 runs in six innings at an average of 56 including a century of 101 and two half centuries.

Opener Solomon Mire of Midlands Rhinos proved critics wrong piling 223 runs in four innings averaging 55.75 with an icing of two tons; 109 and 101.

Meanwhile, Tuskers opener and captain Brian Chari proved that he isn’t a spent force and possibly gave selectors something to think about after scoring 370 runs in six innings with an average of 123.33 including two identical centuries of 105 and two fifties.

For the bowlers, Tuskers quick Brian Vitori, who is out of international bowling for one year, ended the Pro50 Championship with 20 wickets in six matches with an incredible average of 10.50 and a good economy of 4.05.

Zimbabwe and Rhinos skipper, Graeme Cremer, weighed in with 14 wickets in six matches averaging 12.42 and a tremendous economy of 3.61.

Other wicket takers making up top five are Tendai Chatara of Manicaland Mountaineers with 10 wickets, Brighton Zhawi of Harare Metropolitan Eagles with nine wickets, Rhinos’ Neville Madziva and Tuskers’ Chris Mpofu sharing eight wickets each.

Meanwhile, ZC conferred Tuskers with their maiden Pro50 Championship crown on Tuesday after wrapping up the season in style with a massive nine-wicket knock over of Eagles at Harare Sports Club.

On the other hand, the national team trio of Ryan Burl, Tarisai Musakanda and Richard Ngarava –in England with the ZC Academy- is expected to join camp in Scotland next week.
 
Zimbabwe ODI squad

Form guide

Last five games (most recent first)

Prime batters and all-rounders
Craig Ervine:             57*, 25, 5, 101, 4.
Malcolm Waller:        113 & 2-17, 57 & 1-16, 49 & 0-29, 52 & 0-44, 41 & 1-29.
Chamu Chibhabha: 65, 59 & 0-19, 2 & 0-19, 3, 35.
Sikandar Raza Butt: 16 & 0-31, 17, 12 & 2-38, 1 & 0-51, 9 & 3-37.
Hamilton Masakadza: 9, 1-14 & 31, 1-20 & 25, 146, 0-25 & 45.
Solomon Mire:          109, 12, 0-28 & 101, 1 & 0-26, 11 & 2-25.
Peter Moor:                8 & 0c/0s, 67 & 3c/0s, 27 & 1c/1s, 11 & 4c/0s, 7 & 0c/0s.
Sean Williams:         DNB & 2-54, 101 & 1-47, 21 & 1-9, 114*, 43.

Prime bowlers
Graeme Cremer:       6-33, 3-25, 2-57, 2-36, 0-29.
Tendai Chatara:       4-53, 0-12, 2-46, 1-51, 2-43.
Chris Mpofu:              1-28, 0-56, 2-53, 1-25, 1-28.
Donald Tiripano:      1-53, 0-31, 1-41, 3-65, 1-62.