malvernmugadzikwa
Don Makanyanga
IN the lead-up to the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifiers, the biggest question on Zimbabwe’s chances of success revolved around how the Chevrons would fare at the top of the batting order.
In fact, it is a question that seems to have haunted the country for many years.
The days of iconic opening pairs — like Grant Flower, alongside his brother Andy or Dion Ebrahim; Alistair Campbell and Neil Johnson; or the original Zimbabwe ODI pair Ali Shah and Grant Paterson from the 1983 Prudential World Cup — seemed to have been long gone.
The Chevrons’ top-order batting woes seemed to have been compounded by Innocent Kaia’s slump, the result of which saw head coach Dave Houghton take a gamble on 27-year-old Joylord Gumbie.
“In any competition, series or even game, there is always going to be someone who struggles a bit for runs, and, at the moment, that is Inno (Kaia),” said Houghton after Zimbabwe’s final warm-up match against Scotland.
“Today, we changed the batting order and brought in Joylord (Gumbie), who scored runs.
“The good thing about our team is that we have replacements.”
In the weeks since that match, Gumbie has managed to rise to the occasion with back-to-back scores of 25 and 40 against Nepal and the Netherlands, respectively.
While the runs are not anything to write home about, it is the manner in which the Zimbabwe international has played and supported his opening partner and skipper Craig Ervine that has attracted attention.
“To be honest, I did not see it coming (making his debut in the World Cup qualifier); these are the works of God,” said Gumbie.
The 27-year-old batter scored 25 runs off 29 balls, setting up an opening partnership of 45 runs with Ervine in his first Chevrons match.
In his second match, Gumbie was 10 runs shy of his maiden half-century (40 runs off 55 balls), and starred in two key partnerships of 81 and 62 with Ervine and Sean Williams, respectively, which gave the Chevrons the ideal start to their innings.
Gumbie believes the support he has received from his teammates has been incredible.
He singled out both Ervine and Williams for praise, as their pep talk seems to be working.
“The secret to my steadiness has been that I don’t fear anything because I know God is in control.
“I also enjoy challenges, as this is when I can show the world what I can do. The senior guys have been there talking to me all the way, and I feel comfortable around them.
“With Craig Ervine, he is always supportive . . .
“Sean (Williams) always says don’t get tired of doing the right things . . .
“I enjoy being around these two because they bring that positive vibe,” added Gumbie.
He is looking forward to continuing to don the Chevrons’ red-and-gold jersey.
“I can’t explain the feeling (in my debut), but I was so happy to be part of the family. I was all smiles . . . I was excited. It was good crossing the line for the first time and the whole experience was amazing.”
Williams described Gumbie as a positive person.
“Joylord, in his debut, and in front of a massive crowd, did something special, and I am looking forward to seeing what he has in store for us.
“Having Joylord coming in there, being solid and playing strokes was amazing; he is a positive person.
“Having him with Craig (Ervine) up there and Wesley coming in is really a good combination,” said Williams.
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter