Timeline
Below, is a brief timeline outlining significant events in the history of cricket in Rhodesia and Zimbabwe.
1890: The Pioneer Column played the first ever cricket match in Rhodesia, at Fort Victoria.
1891: Salisbury Cricket Club formed and metropolitan league formed.
1894: Bulawayo created a metropolitan league.
1895: The first of many Salisbury vs Bulawayo matches.
1897: Salisbury Sports Club created, which became Salisbury Cricket Club headquarters.
1899: Lord Hawke led the first English team to Rhodesia.
1900: The Vigne Cup, of the Salisbury metropolitan league, was contested for the first time.
1903: The Logan Cup, for inter-provincial matches, was contested for the first time.
1914-1918: World War I. Not a lot of cricket played.
1939-1945: World War II. Rhodesia was home to an RAF base, leading to a lot of unoffical cricket matches.
1946: Rhodesia played in the Currie Cup for the first time.
1960: Rhodesia played a match against an Australian eleven led by Richie Benaud.
1965: UDI declared by Ian Smith.
1970: Big name players like Garry Sobers and Mike Procter play cricket in Rhodesia
1979: Rhodesia's last season in the Currie Cup.
1980: Robert Mugabe elected president, Rhodesia gained full independence and became known as Zimbabwe.
1981: Associate status granted by the ICC.
1982: Salisbury renamed Harare. Salisbury Sports Club became Harare Sports Club.
1983: Zimbabwe defeated Australia in a World Cup ODI match.
1992: Zimbabwe granted full member status by the ICC, allowing them to play Test matches.
1994: Zimbabwe defeated Pakistan at Harare Sports Club, their first Test win.
1995: Henry Olonga was Zimbabwe's first black Test cricketer.
2004: Heath Streak sacked as Zimbabwe captain leading to a player strike.
2004: Tatenda Taibu becomes Zimbabwe's first black captain.
2006: Mark Vermeulen burns down the Harare Sports Club boardroom and the Zimbabwe Cricket Academy (Country Club) facilities.
2007: Electrical faults cause the Bulawayo Athletic Club bar and billiard room to burn down.
2007: Zimbabwe defeated Australia in a World Cup Twenty20 match, their first win against a team ranked higher than Bangladesh since 2003.