Most disheartening has been the fielding, not only because Zimbabwe had a reputation for it pre-2005 but also because there's no excuse for not doing it well.
Our look back at the past year continues as Tristan Holme picks out his top ten performances of 2011.
After four days of this truncated Test series, the easiest conclusion to arrive at is that it will be decided by the team whose batsmen have the least mental fortitude, writes Tristan Holme.
Vernon Philander's second coming in international cricket has raised eyebrows in some quarters, but Tristan Holme suggests he could be the answer to SA's third seamer slot.
A draw would have looked a highly respectable result in the record books, but Zimbabwe shunned mediocrity and won everyone's respect in the process.