2010–11 Stanbic Bank 20 Series

The 2010–11 Stanbic Bank 20 Series was a Twenty20 cricket competition held in Zimbabwe from 13 – 21 November 2010.[1] It was won by the Mashonaland Eagles, who defeated the Mid West Rhinos in the final by one run.[2]

2010–11 Stanbic Bank 20 Series

Administrator(s)	Zimbabwe Cricket
Cricket format	Twenty20
Tournament format(s)	Group stage and knockout
Champions	Mashonaland Eagles (1st title)
Participants	5
Matches played	14
Player of the series	Ryan Butterworth (Mashonaland Eagles)
Most runs	233 – Nick Compton (Mashonaland Eagles)
Most wickets	33 – Graeme Cremer (Mid West Rhinos) 33 – Chamu Chibhabha (Southern Rocks)

The Eagles finished the group stage of the competition as the top team, losing only one match of the four-match round-robin.[3] They then edged past the Tuskers in the first semi-final, winning a low-scoring match with their final pair of batsmen, passing their opponent's total of 70 with just nine balls remaining.[4] They met the Rhinos in the final, where thanks to 74 runs from Nick Compton, a late unbeaten 39 runs off 17 balls from Andrew Hall, and economical bowling from Ray Price, they won by just one run.[2] Compton finished the competition as the leading run-scorer, amassing 233 runs from his six matches, at an average of 38.83.[5] Graeme Cremer and Chamu Chibhabha of the Southern Rocks and Mashonaland Eagles respectively claimed the most wickets, taking 11 each.[6]

The competition also saw the return of Brian Lara to professional cricket after a two-year absence.[7] Lara was described by international contemporary Kumar Sangakkara as "one of the greatest batsmen the world has seen",[8] shortly after the West Indian's retirement from cricket. However, in early 2010 he had negotiations with Surrey to play Twenty20 cricket for them in the 2010 Friends Provident t20. When the talks fell through, Lara insisted that he still wanted to return to play Twenty20 cricket, a format which he hadn't played during his career.[9] On 5 November, it was announced that he would join the Southern Rocks to play in the Stanbic Bank 20 Series.[10] On his debut for the Rocks, and his first-ever Twenty20 match,[7] he scored a half-century, top-scoring for the Rocks with 65.[11] He added 34 runs in his next two innings, but then left the competition, citing "commitments elsewhere".[12]

Fixtures and results

Group stage

Team	Pld	W	L	T	N/R	Pts	Net R/R
Mashonaland Eagles	4	3	1	0	0	12	+0.739
Mid West Rhinos	4	2	2	0	0	8	−0.287
Southern Rocks	4	2	2	0	0	8	+0.313
Matabeleland Tuskers	4	2	2	0	0	8	−0.243
Mountaineers	4	1	3	0	0	4	−0.563

Knockout stage

	Semi-finals				Final
	20 November – Harare
	Matabeleland Tuskers	70 (19.2 ov)
					21 November – Harare
	Mashonaland Eagles	74/9 (18.3 ov)
					Mashonaland Eagles	167/7 (20 ov)
	20 November – Harare
					Mid West Rhinos	166/6 (20 ov)
	Southern Rocks	151/8 (20 ov)
	Mid West Rhinos	152/2 (18.3 ov)
					Third place
					21 November – Harare
					Southern Rocks	154/8 (20 ov)
					Matabeleland Tuskers	158/1 (18.2 ov)

Semi-finals

20 November Scorecard

Matabeleland Tuskers 70 (19.2 overs)	v	Mashonaland Eagles 74/9 (18.3 overs)
Neil Carter 25 (33) Andrew Hall 3/12 (4 overs)		Ryan ten Doeschate 26 (47) Christopher Mpofu 2/9 (4 overs) Keagan Meth 2/9 (4 overs)

Mashonaland Eagles won by 1 wicket Harare Sports Club, Harare Umpires: Ian Robinson and Justice Tapfumaneyi Player of the match: Andrew Hall (Eagles)

• Mashonaland Eagles won the toss and elected to field.

---

20 November Scorecard

Southern Rocks 151/8 (20 overs)	v	Mid West Rhinos 152/2 (18.3 overs)
Tatenda Taibu 57 (51) Brendan Taylor 2/17 (4 overs)		Lou Vincent 75* (55) Michael Chinouya 1/26 (4 overs)

Mid West Rhinos won by 8 wickets Harare Sports Club, Harare Umpires: Owen Chirombe and Russell Tiffin Player of the match: Vusimuzi Sibanda, Lou Vincent (Rhinos)

• Southern Rocks won the toss and elected to bat.

Third-place play-off

20 November Scorecard

Southern Rocks 154/8 (20 overs)	v	Matabeleland Tuskers 158/1 (18.2 overs)
Tatenda Taibu 60 (37) Bradley Staddon 2/24 (4 overs)		Charles Coventry 67* (40) Elton Chigumbura 1/42 (4 overs)

Matabeleland Tuskers won by 9 wickets Harare Sports Club, Harare Umpires: Ian Robinson and Justice Tapfumaneyi Player of the match: Charles Coventry (Tuskers)

• Matabeleland Tuskers won the toss and elected to field.

Final

20 November Scorecard

Mashonaland Eagles 167/7 (20 overs)	v	Mid West Rhinos 166/6 (20 overs)
Nick Compton 74 (55) Malcolm Waller 2/23 (3 overs)		Vusimuzi Sibanda 46 (30) Ray Price 1/22 (4 overs)

Mashonaland Eagles won by 1 run Harare Sports Club, Harare Umpires: Owen Chirombe and Russell Tiffin Player of the match: Andrew Hall (Eagles)

• Mashonaland Eagles won the toss and elected to bat.

References

1. "Stanbic Bank 20 Series 2010/11 / Fixtures". Cricinfo. ESPN. Retrieved 22 November 2010.
2. Brickhill, Liam (21 November 2010). "Eagles soar to trophy in thrilling one-run win". Cricinfo. ESPN. Retrieved 22 November 2010.
3. "Stanbic Bank 20 Series 2010/11 / Points table". Cricinfo. ESPN. Retrieved 22 November 2010.
4. ESPNcricinfo staff (20 November 2010). "Eagles and Rhinos into final". Cricinfo. ESPN. Retrieved 22 November 2010.
5. "Stanbic Bank 20 Series, 2010/11 / Records / Most runs". Cricinfo. ESPN. Retrieved 22 November 2010.
6. "Stanbic Bank 20 Series, 2010/11 / Records / Most wickets". Cricinfo. ESPN. Retrieved 22 November 2010.
7. "Player Profile: Brian Lara". Cricinfo. ESPN. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
8. Sangakkara, Kumar (30 October 2008). "The spectacular Mr Lara". Cricinfo. ESPN. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
9. Cricinfo staff (26 June 2010). "Lara maintains Twenty20 comeback plans". Cricinfo. ESPN. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
10. ESPNcricinfo staff (5 November 2010). "Rocks sign Lara, Sidebottom for T20". Cricinfo. ESPN. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
11. ESPNcricinfo staff (13 November 2010). "Mountaineers, Eagles open with wins". Cricinfo. ESPN. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
12. ESPNcricinfo staff (18 November 2010). "Lara signs as Zimbabwe 'batting consultant'". Cricinfo. ESPN. Retrieved 23 November 2010.