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Paul Munyuki Harare Bureau
ZIMBABWE cricket coach Steve Mangongo has a reason to believe in his boys while Australia are likely to miss injured captain Michael Clarke in the opening game of the one-day international triangular series that starts today at Harare Sports Club. After Mangongo’s batters failed him against South Africa, the national coach has promised that Zimbabwe will display a “resolute batting team”.
The triangular series also features neighbours South Africa who are coming from a 3-0 series whitewash win over Zimbabwe at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo last week, but Mangongo feels his boys have a chance of playing better going into the three-team tournament.
Going into the ODI against South Africa last week, Mangongo expressed disappointment over the poor performance by his specialist batsmen indicating there was no reason they should make life difficult for the lower order and leave the responsibility of getting runs from them.
Hamilton Masakadza’s top score was 61 in the first ODI but he managed only 11 in the next two, Richmond Mutumbami had a total of 25 in all three averaging 8.3 runs per game and Sikandar Raza Butt played two of the three, first going out for a duck then 30.
Test captain Brendan Taylor scored a total of 20 in the first two ODIs against South Africa and was eventually dropped from the third and final game and the fact is all rounders Sean Williams and ODI captain Elton Chigumbura had a better series.
Coming in at number four in the third ODI, all- rounder Chigumbura was the top performer being the only one who managed a half century with a 90 that comprised 10 fours and two sixes off 122 deliveries.
Having managed a 36 in the opening game, Chigumbura scored seven in the second and pressure was on him to perform in the third game and indeed he managed getting a total of 133 runs in the three games while Williams had two half- centuries and a 17 to add up to 133.
But this time around Mangongo feels the top order is going to up their game starting with Australia this morning.
“I am very confident our batters will give us runs, there have been some positive signals, we are just an innings away from getting big scores from our top guys.
“Work in is progress and we are learning every time and I am sure on Monday (today) we will see a resolute batting team,” he said.
Despite facing a bowl action suspicion case from the International Cricket Council, Prosper Utseya has been drafted into the squad with Mangongo describing the soft-spoken off spinner as a “tough bloke” who is needed in the Zimbabwe team.
And Utseya knows what is expected of him after being named in the team.
“It is something that will definitely be on my mind because it’s difficult to ignore, but I will have to have a strong mind frame so that I play well for my country in the triangular series.
“I will have to be professional and strong about it as much as I can because at this stage there is nothing I can do about it but play to the best of my abilities, anyway, it is said one is innocent till proven guilty,” Utseya told our Harare Bureau.
But there is a cloud of doubt over the availability of Clarke for Australia after he suffered a hamstring injury and coach Darren Lehmann says the medical staff is having a look at him but did not rule out the batsman from playing.
Lehmann said if Clarke did not recover in time to play at the Harare Sports Club, his place would be taken by Phil Hughes, who would open the batting with Aaron Finch.
“Obviously long (36- hour journey) flights don’t help the old fella.
“He’s desperate to play; we’re obviously desperate for our captain to play, full stop. So hopefully he’ll get through (yesterday’s) session and we’ll make a decision from there.
“But he’s so professional in dealing with that sort of stuff, so it’s a little setback for us but it gives someone else an opportunity if he doesn’t come up. We’ll have to wait and see,” Lehmann said at a press conference on Saturday.
Online Reporter