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Robson Sharuko
Senior Sports Editor
AT just 13, he was already showing signs of greatness — winning the 2011 CBZ Bank’s Best Zimbabwean Schools Cricketer Player of the Tournament at the EJCCA Festival in South Africa.

Today, he is being touted as the next big thing in English cricket after a stunning knock, which almost dragged England to an improbable series-clinching victory, in the ODI series, against India.

All-rounder Sam Curran, a left-handed batsman and left-handed medium-fast bowler, is cut from the cloth that makes the greats of the gentlemen’s game.

He might have fallen short, in the end, as England fell to a seven-run defeat, in this winner-take-all showdown, in Pune on Sunday.

But, his monumental innings of an unbeaten 95, took England close to one of their finest ODI victories, on the road, in what was a fitting climax, to a memorable heavyweight series.

Had England pulled off the victory, it would have been their first ODI series win, in India, in 36 years.

The visitors had looked dead and buried, when they slipped to 200-7, in the 32st over, in chase of India’s total of 330.

But, Curran, with the help of Adil Rashid and Mark Wood, took his team to the brink of an unlikely victory.

However, they couldn’t get the 14 runs needed, in the final over, for the win.

“The scope of where he can take his game to is massive. We’re all very excited for him,” stand-in England captain, Jos Butler, told BBC Sport.

“He’s a very young man still. Any time he and his brother Tom are put in those situations they seem to have the character for the crunch moments.

“Sam keeps showing what a match-winner he is, he is a real impact player and he will continue to get better and better.’’

The 22-year-old Curran added 57 with Rashid, and then 60 with Mark Wood, to take England close to a sensational victory.

“It was great for Sam to take us all the way down to the wire, that was an outstanding effort and we’re all very proud of him for that,” said Butler.

That this came only in Curran’s eighth ODI match, for England, probably justifies the buzz which has been following him.

It’s something which, seasoned observers here, and in South Africa, had seen in the teenage Curran, exactly 10 years ago.

Then, he was a schoolboy playing for the Zimbabwe Under-13 national team, and already winning medals.

He scooped the 2011 CBZ Bank’s Best Zimbabwean Schools Cricketer and Player of the Tournament, at the EJCCA Festival in South Africa, awards.

His teammates, in the Zimbabwe Under-13 team for the 2011–12 Cricket South Africa Under-13 Week tournament, were Walter Huchu (captain), Matthew Conolly, Angus Curtis, Keith Jaure, Adriaan Kok, Kundai Matigimu, Wallace Mubaiwa, Ryan Murray, Davis Murwendo, Jayden Schadendorf, Brendan Sly and Nicholas Welch.

Curran played five matches, in that tournament, scoring 67 runs and took three wickets.

His brother Tom then attracted the attention of English county side, Surrey, in South Africa, in 2012.

After the death of their father, Kevin, at the age of 53, after collapsing, while jogging, in Mutare on October 10 that year, former England all-rounder, Alec Stewart invited the Curran family to Surrey.

Kevin was head of the Zimbabwe Cricket Academy, at the time of his death and had coached the Chevrons between August 2005 and September 2007.

A genuine all-rounder, during his playing days, Kevin was part of the pioneer group of cricketers, who represented Zimbabwe at the country’s first appearance, at the ICC Cricket World Cup, in England in 1983.

He also featured at the 1987 ICC Cricket World Cup and played county cricket for Gloucestershire and Northamptonshire in the ‘80s and ‘90s.

Curran’s brilliant knock on Sunday equalled the highest score, by a batsman batting either at number eight, or lower, in ODI cricket.

It’s a record he now shares with another Englishman, Chris Woakes.

He hit three sixes, and nine fours, in Pune and his runs came off 83 balls.

Woakes’ 92-ball unbeaten 95 came in the match between England and Sri Lanka in Nottingham, on June 21, 2016.

Curran’s knock eased him past Nathan Couter-Nile, who scored 92 in 60 balls, hitting eight fours and four sixes, for Australia against the West Indies, in Nottingham, on June 6, 2019.

The ICC named Curran as one of the five breakout stars, in men’s cricket in 2018.

The following year, Widsen Cricketers’ Almanack, named him as one of their five Cricketers of the Year.

It underlines this country’s profile, as a major cricket-playing nation, and factory for producing some of the game’s finest players.

Heath Streak, the former Chevrons skipper, is in 10th place on the list of those who have scored the most runs, while coming in at number eight, in ODI history.

Streak scored an unbeaten 79, in 67 balls, hitting four fours and five sixes, against New Zealand, in Auckland, on Juanary 7, 2001.

He shares 10th place with the likes of Pakistan legend Wasim Akram, Daniel Vettori of New Zealand and Andy McBrine of Ireland.

Another former Zimbabwe cricketer, Douglas Marillier, became first batsman to score a half century, when batting at number 10 in ODIs, on March 7, 2002.

He scored an unbeaten 24-ball 56, to help the Chevrons to a stunning victory, over India in Faridabad, on March 7, 2002, hitting 10 fours and a six.

It remained the highest ODI score, by a number 10 batsman in ODIs, for about seven years, before it was surpassed by Mohammad Amir.

It’s still the third highest score, by a number 10 batsman, in ODIs.