Paul Strang

Paul Andrew Strang (born 28 July 1970) is a Zimbabwean cricket coach and former international player. A leg-spinning all-rounder, he played in 24 Test matches and 95 One Day Internationals for Zimbabwe between 1994 and 2001. He played Test cricket alongside his brother, Bryan Strang; their father, Ronald Strang, was a first-class umpire and was TV umpire for two of Zimbabwe's Test matches in 1994/5.

Paul Strang

Personal information
Full name	Paul Andrew Strang
Born	(1970-07-28) 28 July 1970 (age 54) Bulawayo, Rhodesia
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right-arm leg break
Role	All-rounder
Relations	Bryan Strang (brother)
International information
National side	Zimbabwe
Test debut (cap 23)	26 October 1994 v Sri Lanka
Last Test	14 September 2001 v South Africa
ODI debut (cap 38)	2 December 1994 v Australia
Last ODI	26 November 2001 v Bangladesh
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1993/94–1995/96	Mashonaland Country Districts
1994/95–2000/01	Mashonaland
1997	Kent
1998	Nottinghamshire
1999/00	CFX Academy
2001/02–2003/04	Manicaland
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI FC LA Matches 24 95 107 180 Runs scored 839 1,090 3,613 1,941 Batting average 27.06 22.24 30.10 19.60 100s/50s 1/2 0/0 3/17 0/1 Top score 106* 47 154 52* Balls bowled 5,720 4,351 21,747 8,015 Wickets 70 96 324 193 Bowling average 36.02 33.05 30.65 29.75 5 wickets in innings 4 2 17 3 10 wickets in match 1 0 3 0 Best bowling 8/109 5/21 8/109 6/32 Catches/stumpings 15/– 30/– 96/– 64/–
Source: CricInfo, 19 August 2012

Strang has since moved into coaching, joining the Auckland Aces as a high performance coach in 2008,^[1] and becoming the full-time coach soon afterwards.^[2]

Domestic career

He played two seasons of county cricket as an overseas player, firstly for Kent County Cricket Club in 1997 and then for Nottinghamshire in 1998.

International career

Strang studied at the University of Cape Town, and toured Pakistan with the Zimbabwe side in 1993/4. He played his first Test in 1994, and became a professional cricketer in 1995. He was one of the leading wicket-takers in the 1996 Cricket World Cup in India, taking 12 wickets with a bowling average of 16, although the team was knocked out in the preliminary stage, beating Kenya (with Strang taking 5 wickets) but losing its other 4 matches.

Strang scored his only Test century in the 1st innings of the 1st Test against Pakistan at Sheikhupura in 1996–7, batting at No. 8, including a stand of 87 with his brother for the 9th wicket. He also took 5 wickets in Pakistan's 1st innings in the same match. Strang's achievement was overshadowed by a double century, 257 not out, scored by Wasim Akram, and the match was drawn.^[3]

He played in the 1999 Cricket World Cup in England, where Zimbabwe beat Kenya, India and South Africa to qualify for the "Super Six" stage. His best Test bowling figures of 8–109 came against New Zealand in the 1st innings at Bulawayo in 2000–1, although Zimbabwe lost the match by 7 wickets.^[4] His remain the best bowling figures by a Zimbabwean in an innings in Test cricket (the best match figures belong to Adam Huckle). He only played in three further Tests, with his international career curtailed in 2000 by a chronic injury to the muscles of his right hand.

Records

• Strang is the only Zimbabwean Test cricketer to take ten wickets in a match and still end up on the losing side of a test match.^[5]

References

1. "Strang joins Auckland as high performance coach". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 15 April 2008.
2. "Paul Strang fills in as Auckland coach". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 26 February 2008.
3. "1st Test, Zimbabwe tour of Pakistan at Sheikhupura, Oct 17-21 1996 | Match Summary | ESPNCricinfo". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
4. "1st Test, New Zealand tour of Zimbabwe at Bulawayo, Sep 12-16 2000 | Match Summary | ESPNCricinfo". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
5. "Bowling records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPN Cricinfo". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 8 January 2018.

External links

• Paul Strang at ESPNcricinfo