Charles Coventry

Profile

Except for his audacious 194 which would level Saeed Anwar’s 12 year-old benchmark only to be later broken by little master Sachin Tendulkar, Charles Coventry in his brief tenure has done little to live up to his tag of being an explosive, hard hitting batsman.

Hard to miss on the field with his glasses, “Choppa” is the son of international Umpire Charles Coventry, the man who introduced him to the game at a very young age. He ODI debuted in 2003 before returning in 2005 following Zimbabwe losing key players to the rebellion. He went on to play two Tests against India and also scored a fine 74 in an ODI against them, but continued to struggle before the 194 against Bangladesh once again propelled him into the limelight. In a batting display laced with 16 boundaries and seven towering sixes, Coventry sent the Bangladeshis on a leather hunt but sadly ended on the losing side. His torrid run was to resume thereafter as in his next 19 innings, he managed just a solitary fifty with calls for his axing getting louder by the day. However Zimbabwe’s inability to produce quality cricketers combined with his dual abilities as a wicket-keeper means that he is still the man Zimbabwe relies on.

Fast Facts

• Charles Coventry's unbeaten 194 is the second highest score in the history of ODI cricket and is also the highest score in a losing cause.
• He was Zimbabwe's youngest first-class player at 15 years, 303 days.

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Career

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