Graeme Cremer
Encyclopedia
Alexander Graeme Cremer is a Zimbabwe
an cricket
er. He is a leg-spinner who got into the Zimbabwe side at the age of eighteen, following the exits of Paul Strang
, Andy Whittall and Ray Price
from the Zimbabwean team.
Educated at the prestigious Prince Edward School, Cremer was quite prolific in school cricket, taking many wickets. He made his Test debut against Bangladesh in Dhaka
on January 6, 2005, a match that Zimbabwe went on to lose handing the Bangladeshi Tigers their first ever Test match victory.
Cremer then played Tests against South Africa and New Zealand. Unfortunately Cremer, seen by many as a Test specialist, had his opportunities limited thereafter due to Zimbabwe's self-imposed exile from Test cricket. After several years on the fringes of the national team Cremer finally broke into the limited overs squad against the West Indies in late 2007. However, Zimbabwe's strong spin attack of Ray Price and Prosper Utseya meant he did not get any game time. It wasn't until the Al Barakah Cup Twenty20 tournament in Canada that Cremer was finally given a chance in the shorter format, and he made the most of it by taking 2/10 from his 3 overs.
He continued to be part of the squad in the subsequent series against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, often named 12th man. His ODI debut came in January 2009 against Kenya, and his first ODI series was outstanding. He finished the tournament as the leading wicket taker, with 15 wickets from 5 matches at an average of 11.46. He has continued to take wickets, with his excellent googly
, while being very economical at the same time. Cremer has been the go-to man for captain Prosper Utseya
, another one of many talented spinners on the Zimbabwe team. In 19 ODIs, Cremer has taken 32 wickets at 4.49, and even in the tests he has played, during the collapse of the Zimbabwe cricket team, against the likes of New Zealand
and South Africa, he managed to take 13 wickets in just 7 innings of bowling, although Zimbabwe lost those matches considerably. He is a bright spark in the revival of cricket in the country, and has formed a formidable combination with Ray Price
and Prosper Utseya
.
Cremer has also developed into a bowling all-rounder. His highest First Class score is an unbeaten 171 in the 2006–07 Logan Cup, while his one-day and List-A batting averages are in the mid-20's. He is very capable with the bat, with provides an extra asset to a relatively weak batting lineup. Many consider Cremer to become the best spinner in Zimbabwe, and as good an all-rounder as Heath Streak
, a Zimbabwe legend.
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
an cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er. He is a leg-spinner who got into the Zimbabwe side at the age of eighteen, following the exits of Paul Strang
Paul Strang
Paul Andrew Strang is a Zimbabwean cricket coach and former international player. A leg-spinning all-rounder, he played in 24 Tests and 95 ODIs for Zimbabwe between 1994 and 2001...
, Andy Whittall and Ray Price
Ray Price (cricketer)
Raymond William Price is a Zimbabwean cricketer. He bowls left-arm orthodox spin. He is the nephew of the renowned Zimbabwean golfer Nick Price....
from the Zimbabwean team.
Educated at the prestigious Prince Edward School, Cremer was quite prolific in school cricket, taking many wickets. He made his Test debut against Bangladesh in Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
on January 6, 2005, a match that Zimbabwe went on to lose handing the Bangladeshi Tigers their first ever Test match victory.
Cremer then played Tests against South Africa and New Zealand. Unfortunately Cremer, seen by many as a Test specialist, had his opportunities limited thereafter due to Zimbabwe's self-imposed exile from Test cricket. After several years on the fringes of the national team Cremer finally broke into the limited overs squad against the West Indies in late 2007. However, Zimbabwe's strong spin attack of Ray Price and Prosper Utseya meant he did not get any game time. It wasn't until the Al Barakah Cup Twenty20 tournament in Canada that Cremer was finally given a chance in the shorter format, and he made the most of it by taking 2/10 from his 3 overs.
He continued to be part of the squad in the subsequent series against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, often named 12th man. His ODI debut came in January 2009 against Kenya, and his first ODI series was outstanding. He finished the tournament as the leading wicket taker, with 15 wickets from 5 matches at an average of 11.46. He has continued to take wickets, with his excellent googly
Googly
In cricket, a googly is a type of delivery bowled by a right-arm leg spin bowler. It is occasionally referred to as a Bosie , an eponym in honour of its inventor Bernard Bosanquet.- Explanation :...
, while being very economical at the same time. Cremer has been the go-to man for captain Prosper Utseya
Prosper Utseya
Prosper Utseya is a Zimbabwean cricketer. Rising from the ranks of township cricket in Harare's Highfield suburb, he attended Churchill High School , thanks to Zimbabwe Cricket Union scholarships...
, another one of many talented spinners on the Zimbabwe team. In 19 ODIs, Cremer has taken 32 wickets at 4.49, and even in the tests he has played, during the collapse of the Zimbabwe cricket team, against the likes of New Zealand
New Zealand cricket team
The New Zealand cricket team, nicknamed the Black Caps, are the national cricket team representing New Zealand. They played their first in 1930 against England in Christchurch, New Zealand, becoming the fifth country to play Test cricket. It took the team until 1955–56 to win a Test, against the...
and South Africa, he managed to take 13 wickets in just 7 innings of bowling, although Zimbabwe lost those matches considerably. He is a bright spark in the revival of cricket in the country, and has formed a formidable combination with Ray Price
Ray Price (cricketer)
Raymond William Price is a Zimbabwean cricketer. He bowls left-arm orthodox spin. He is the nephew of the renowned Zimbabwean golfer Nick Price....
and Prosper Utseya
Prosper Utseya
Prosper Utseya is a Zimbabwean cricketer. Rising from the ranks of township cricket in Harare's Highfield suburb, he attended Churchill High School , thanks to Zimbabwe Cricket Union scholarships...
.
Cremer has also developed into a bowling all-rounder. His highest First Class score is an unbeaten 171 in the 2006–07 Logan Cup, while his one-day and List-A batting averages are in the mid-20's. He is very capable with the bat, with provides an extra asset to a relatively weak batting lineup. Many consider Cremer to become the best spinner in Zimbabwe, and as good an all-rounder as Heath Streak
Heath Streak
Heath Hilton Streak is a former Zimbabwean cricketer. He made his Test debut in Zimbabwe's tour of Pakistan 1993/1994 making his mark by taking 8 wickets in the 2nd Test at Rawalpindi...
, a Zimbabwe legend.