Chronicle Editor
Simba Jemwa, Showbiz Correspondent
OF late, Zimbabwean cricket had lost its place in the sun, now generally reckoned to have only slightly more spectator appeal than night orienteering and underwater hockey, but three T20 matches at Queens Sports Club during the week changed all that.
An aura of festivity gripped the entire country as all three Chevrons’ group matches ended in blazing, thrilling fashion for the capacity crowd. But not, in the end, a romantic thriller.
A festive atmosphere prevailed as thousands of cricket fans braved a nagging chill at the entry gates of the Queens Sports Club to watch the opening 2022 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Global Qualifier B featuring hosts Zimbabwe and Singapore on Monday.
The fans, who wore replicas eulogising the Chevrons side, animatedly discussed the home side’s prospects against their opponents who looked like part-timers. Victory! some of the Zimbos said.
Passionate love for the game in the local population is visible all around the city.
On Thursday in the penultimate group match against the United States of America (USA), city-based businessman Washington Runokunda, who runs a medical and industrial supplies company, was in a very jubilant mood inside the stadium.
Talking to this reporter after entering the stadium, he said: “I watched the last game against Jersey. Today I’m here to watch our boys beating the USA and my attraction towards this game is growing every day.”
Expressing a little bit of frustration for late arrival, Thabani Chauke, a college student from the National University for Science and Technology (Nust) said: “I’m a little late, but it was nice that I got here before the game started.”
At the end of it all against the USA, Queens was drenched in euphoria over the Chevrons’ return to form. On the day, Bulawayo knew no bounds in celebrating the triumph of its Chevrons as the joyous city showered them with praises and love.
Emotional and poignant scenes unfolded inside Queens as the players hugged each other and the cricket-crazy city broke into instant festivities. Bulawayo personalities like Ntando Van Moyo and his accomplice Dalubuhle Sibanda, and the hugely popular Sizwakele Ndlovu saluted the Zimbabwean team for a job well done.
Respected football administrator and businessman, Kenny Ndebele, respected media personalities, and players from Highlanders Football Club were also among the spectators. Hordes of cricket lovers wearing Chevrons’ jerseys and waving flags assembled at various points in the arena and partied.
Cheers became louder after Sikander Raza Butt got to his half-century as the crowd smelled blood, enlivening the fans who initially fell silent after openers Regis Chakabva (31) and Craig Ervine (11) gave the hosts a solid platform.
It was poetic to watch Butt produce yet another masterclass from the Sports Club stand at the Queens. And yet, many a fan can’t quite describe the feeling yet in words. It’s just the kind of experience that one would only understand if they were there.
Here are four reasons that made the stadium viewing experience a must for every cricket fan.
#1 A one-of-a-kind carnival
From vendors selling biltong, jerseys, and other merchandise, to the fans in the stadium with their colourful signs, the experience is certainly one-of-a-kind. Add to it, the festive mood and a sea of red around the stadium and the stadium becomes nothing less than a carnival. It can get chaotic, but that’s what makes it truly entertaining and a unique experience.
#2 The view
No matter how good a camera is, it can never really capture the feel of the stadium view. A top view of the lush green grass, with local heroes just a few feet away from the 10-year-old star-struck kid, is quite a surreal experience. No matter how good TV broadcasting gets with its various angles and spider cams, it can never come close to giving fans the feel of the real thing.
#3 Strangers turned friends
Whoever said Bulawayo is a cricket-crazy nation must have visited Queens Sports Club at least once! Hundreds of fans around you, chanting with you, singing and screaming coherently, is a magical experience. If cricket is a religion, the stadium is the place of worship.
You connect with complete strangers, whose names you will never know, and find friends in them, all here for the love of the game. From wild cheering to critical analysis, to hope beyond hope, you share a wide myriad of emotions with thousands of people you will never see again. They are not the same, but they are one.
#4 Realising what it means to be Zimbabwean
We all claim to love our country, and sometimes we may believe it, sometimes not. But on occasions like this, you realise how attuned we are; how much it matters that our country wins. From the one-minute silence for the national anthem and the roar after it ends; from the chants to the rousing rendition of ‘Highlander, iteamu yezwe lonke’ it makes us all come together.
The giant Zimbabwean flags unfurling around the stadium will bring a sense of the occasion and pride, and you will be filled with goosebumps when you realise how lucky you are to have experienced this. It’s the kind of thing that truly makes us united, even if it’s for a little while. – @RealSimbaJemwa
Online Reporter