With a one day game and a four day game still to go Durhamccc.co.uk caught up with Phil to hear about his trip so far.
“The reason I wanted to go to Zimbabwe in the first place was to try and get some more t20 experience under my belt, perform well and possibly get my name in the frame to play more overseas t20 this winter.
“It’s really lovely over here in Zimbabwe, I have to admit I wasn’t quite sure what to expect but it has been an excellent experience.
“When I got off the plane I was expecting a half an hour drive to the house we were staying in but it was actually three hours away, literally up in the mountains. The most difficult part of the trip has been the travelling because everywhere is at least three hours away – a bit like travelling from Durham to our away games!
“It’s been a pretty hectic few weeks and we haven’t really had that much time off. I’ve been living with Ned Eckersley (Leicestershire CCC) and it’s been good to have him here to share the experience with – I think it could have been tough coming into a team without someone else being in the same position as you. We’ve had some free time but with electricity being cut off two days a week we’ve had to keep ourselves occupied on the golf course and have kept our local coffee shop, Tony’s, pretty busy !
“The set up at the club is pretty relaxed but that’s not to say that they’re not trying to push the club forward, they’re working really hard to try and improve their game.
“The standard of cricket has been pretty good over here, maybe not as high as our t20 standard but it’s definitely moving in the right direction. Tactically, I’ve been able to help put a bit more of a structure in place and pass on some of the experience I’ve gained from our domestic competition.
“I’ve enjoyed playing in the conditions even though it’s been very hot and it’s really tiring out there in the middle. The pitches have been excellent and the outfields are really quick so if you hit the ball hard enough you’ll get a boundary and save having to run the ones and twos in the heat!
“My personal role within the team has been to get us off to a good start in the t20 competition, I‘ve played aggressively from ball one, which I haven’t really done for Durham before. I’ve also tried to build an innings, which I’ve managed a couple of times but there’s still work to be done there. There’s still a lot for me to learn when it comes to the shorter format of the game and this has been a great experience to help me develop.
“We were based at a hotel in Harare while the t20 tournament was taking place and while crowds weren’t huge for the first round they steadily increased and by the semi finals and the final the numbers were up to over 4000 and there was a really great atmosphere. There were some big names playing in the competition, with the likes of Dirk Nannes, Shaun Tait and Chris Gayle, and it was great to see them in action too.
“It’s really great to have come over here, made valuable contributions and be part of the winning side – I couldn’t really have asked for more. Performing well here has really given me some confidence and with the tournament televised in South Africa, this trip could be the platform I needed to get a contract for their t20 tournament early next year. I always had my eye on trying to get there and I think my time here has paid off in that I’ve performed well and I’m looking forward to taking any opportunities that might come up.
“We’re ambitious at Durham, we want to win trophies in all formats and the way I see it, the more experience I get in t20 the more chance we have of hitting high totals and putting games out of the reach of the opposition.”
Phil Mustard also spoke to All Out Cricket while he was on his travels – click here to read about how he still has an eye on an England re-call