The Harare Sports Club (HSC) is at the heart of international cricket in Zimbabwe. With its picturesque venue and iconic pavilion, the HSC has built its own unique identity over the years.
The HSC, known as the Salisbury Sports Club until 1982, was founded in 1900. It hosted Zimbabwe’s inaugural Test match against India in 1992 and since then, has been the country’s major cricketing venue.
While the stadium can easily accommodate around 10,000 people, temporary stands can extend the capacity. Rhodesia vs Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in 1956 saw a record crowd of 26,000 throng the Harare Sports Club.
The venue is home to Mashonaland Eagles and the Zimbabwe Cricket Union, the governing body of the sport in Zimbabwe.
The Harare Sports Club hosted its first T20 International (T20I) match between Zimbabwe and India on June 12, 2010. The visitors registered a six-wicket victory against the Chevrons.
While the HSC is a major cricket venue for Zimbabwe, it hasn’t been a happy hunting ground for them. Zimbabwe have featured in 32 of the 35 played matches at the Harare Sports Club but have won only six while losing 26.
Here’s all the T20I records at the Harare Sports Club.
Harare Sports Club T20I records
Highest team total
Australia scored 229/2 against Zimbabwe in July 2018, the highest team total at the Harare Sports Club in the T20I format. Aaron Finch hammered a match-winning 172, while Andrew Tye picked three wickets in a 100-run victory for the Aussies.
Zimbabwe are the other team to cross the 200-run mark at this venue. Courtesy of Sikandar Raza and Wessly Madhevere’s knocks, the Chevrons registered 205/3 against Bangladesh in July 2022.
Lowest team total
Zimbabwe have the lowest team total at the Harare Sports Club in T20Is. Afghanistan restricted Zimbabwe to 90/9 in June 2022 to win the match by 35 runs.
Zimbabwe’s 99/9 and Pakistan’s 99 are the other two instances of teams being restricted below 100 at the HSC in this format.
Average first innings score
The Harare Sports Club boasts a competitive pitch, with plenty on offer for both batters and bowlers. The average first innings score at the HSC in T20 Internationals is 158.
Meanwhile, the average second innings score is only 138.
Most runs
Zimbabwe’s batting all-rounder Wessly Madhevere has scored the most runs in this format at the Harare Sports Club. He has amassed 385 runs in 13 T20Is at an average of 32.08, including four fifties.
Four of the top five run-scorers are Zimbabwean players. Aaron Finch from Australia, who scored 306 runs in five matches at the HSC, is the only non-Zimbabwean player in the top five.
Most wickets
Luke Jongwe of Zimbabwe has picked 23 wickets in 14 matches, the most wickets in T20Is at the Harare Sports Club by an individual. The pacer has best bowling figures of 4/18 at the venue and averages a wicket every 11.1 balls.
Pakistan’s Mohammad Hafeez (14), Australia’s Andrew Tye (12) and Zimbabwe’s Blessing Muzarabani (11) are the other players with 10+ wickets in this format at the HSC.
Highest partnership
Australian pair Aaron Finch and D’Arcy Short stitched a 223-run opening stand against Zimbabwe in July 2018. It remains the highest partnership at the Harare Sports Club in T20Is.
There have been nine 100+ runs partnerships at the ground in this format.
Highest individual score
Aaron Finch played a memorable knock of 172 runs from 76 balls against Zimbabwe in July 2018, the highest individual score in T20Is at the Harare Sports Club. The knock included 16 fours and 10 sixes, while Finch maintained a strike-rate of 226.31.
Finch remains the only centurion in this format at the venue. Solomon Mire’s 63-ball 94 is the highest knock by a Zimbabwean at the HSC.
Best bowling figures
Bangladesh off-spinner Mosaddek Hossain’s 5/20 in July 2022 is the best bowling figures in T20Is at the Harare Sports Club. He is the only player to register a five-for at the Harare Sports Club in the format. Australian pacer Billy Stanlake’s incredible spell of 4/8 against Pakistan in July 2018 was the previous record.
Mohammad Hafeez of Pakistan and India’s Barinder Sran are among the seven bowlers with four-wicket hauls in T20 Internationals at the venue.
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Photo credits: Alamy
