Don Makanyanga
Zimpapers Sports Hub
LADY Chevrons coach Mark Coles says the team still have significant ground to cover against established international sides but believes there are some encouraging signs.
Coles has now had an opportunity to assess his new charges against the West Indies and South Africa. The experienced coach has identified batting power, bowling discipline and game awareness as key areas that require attention.
Following the latest defeat to the West Indies, Coles acknowledged the size of the challenge facing Zimbabwe but insisted the team was making progress.
“It is not easy but look, as I said, it sounds pretty boring but I do think that we are making some progress.
“Well, we are getting better, I think.
“We are obviously playing against some pretty good opposition so it’s understanding where we are at and where they are at and, at the moment, they are well ahead of us,” said Coles.
He added:
“We just really don’t have anybody that’s a power hitter, which we have to find, or we have to find alternative ways to get ahead and try and get to 140 and 150.
“The two teams that we’ve played against at the moment have got girls in the middle, big, tall, strong girls that hit the ball hard and we just don’t have that at the moment.
“So, we need to find someone or something that can change the game and at least go at six or seven an over.” Coles has been encouraged by glimpses of improvement.
“We just need to be better at what we are doing and, at the moment, we are a little way off from where we need to be.
“But, in saying that, I don’t want to make excuses. We do see little glimpses of hope. There are little bits of bud flowers coming through, but we just need to be way more consistent than what we are,” he said.
The coach also pointed to the need for more discipline and established routines, particularly when players make mistakes.
“If you have a look at the good players around the world, whether it’s female or male, they’ve all got routines, where they can separate themselves out, that ball’s gone, it’s the very next ball that’s the most important ball.
“And I don’t think we’re quite there yet. And that goes for our bowling as well.
“So, we need to get better at that.
“And the only way you get better at that is by having routines.” He added:
“I think it is about the older ones giving what they have got as well and speaking to the younger ones and getting them to understand the game of cricket.
“But, in saying that, our more experienced players probably only played 10 years of cricket, to be honest.
“Their cricketing careers, a lot of them, started quite late when you compare it with Australia, New Zealand, England, South Africa.
“So, their knowledge is good but in terms of cricketing knowledge, it’s quite a young cricketing knowledge compared to those that are in their 30s, so it’s also getting them up to speed as well.”
