Online Reporter
Tinashe Kusema
THE Zimbabwe Chevrons head into today’s second One Day International at Harare Sports Club with momentum firmly on their side after a dominant run of performances against Bangladesh.
Zimbabwe have already dealt two significant blows to their visitors, first crushing the Asian side by an innings and 85 runs in the one-off Test last week.
The Chevrons followed up that emphatic victory by claiming the opening match of the three-match ODI series by 25 runs, restricting Bangladesh to their lowest-ever ODI total against Zimbabwe.
Much of Zimbabwe’s success has been built around the effectiveness of their seam attack, which has consistently exposed weaknesses in the Bangladesh batting line-up.
The pace quartet of captain Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani, Newman Nyamhuri and Brad Evans accounted for all 20 wickets in the Test triumph before sharing all 10 wickets as Bangladesh were bowled out for 116 in a low-scoring ODI contest on Monday.
In Ngarava, Chevrons coach Justin Sammons appears to have found a captain who leads by example both on and off the field.
In Nyamhuri, Sammons believes Zimbabwe have unearthed a promising young talent capable of becoming a key figure in the national team in years to come.
However, Sammons insists there is still plenty of work to be done and believes any talk of a series clean sweep is premature.
“No, there are no thoughts of a series clean sweep just yet. It’s about taking it one game at a time, one ball at a time.
That is our focus right now. We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves at all. There is still a long way to go,” he said.
The Chevrons coach expects a strong response from Bangladesh and is anticipating a fiercely contested encounter today.
“These guys are an exceptional one-day team, an exceptional white-ball team. They have had some great performances of late, and we know they are going to come out a lot stronger. They will also have taken their lessons, so it’s going to be a tough match for both teams. It’s going to be a real fight, and our only focus is on the next game,” he said.
Zimbabwe currently hold a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, and victory today would seal the series with a match to spare. Despite the positive results, the Chevrons remain a work in progress, with batting continuing to be an area of concern.
The team’s batting frailties were again exposed in the opening ODI at Harare Sports Club on Monday, where Zimbabwe slumped to 70 for eight. It took a remarkable ninth-wicket partnership between Ngarava and Nyamhuri to rescue the innings. Their 63-run stand from 81 deliveries helped Zimbabwe recover to 141, a total that ultimately proved enough to secure victory.
The Chevrons’ pace attack then combined effectively to dismiss Bangladesh for 116, handing the hosts a morale-boosting 25-run win.
“I was really pleased with the bowling performance. The energy in the field from everybody, all 11 guys out on the park, and the way we took our chances and kept believing that we could win that game was really, really pleasing to see.
“Obviously, the batting wasn’t great to begin with. I think we never applied ourselves to the conditions or the skill set that was thrown at us by the opposition. We certainly need to take that on board as we move into game two.
Obviously, wins like that keep adding to the belief in the team that is growing,” he said.
Sammons said the team’s confidence continues to build with every victory. “The mood has been brilliant, so nothing’s really changed in that regard.”
“The confidence levels have surely gone up because the more games you win, the more you believe. Whether they are high-scoring or low-scoring, it doesn’t really matter. It’s about getting over the line, and that, obviously, gives you the belief that you want in that changing room,” he said.
Sammons also reserved special praise for Ngarava and Nyamhuri following their match-winning contributions, saying both players have played a crucial role in Zimbabwe’s recent success.
“Newman has been great. He is a little bulldog. He’ll keep going. He’s got great body language, great energy, and that youthfulness is coming through, which is exciting to watch. I think he’s going to be a huge player for Zimbabwe down the line.
“Obviously, at the moment, he’s still raw. He has still got a lot to learn and a long way to go, but his ceiling is obviously very high. Richie has been great from a leadership point of view. He leads from the front and he is very, very well-respected within the changing room. I think he just knows how to get the best out of his teammates,” he said.
