admin
Senior Sports Reporter
NATIONAL team coach Steve Mangongo believes the cricket squad’s vintage performance in the triangular series, epitomised by the famous victory over Australia, should lay the platform to achieve more in future. In a telephone interview from Harare, Mangongo said the performance was a direct result of the hard work put into in by the players and the technical team.
“Well, the boys put in a brave performance. Taking on the world’s number one and number two is not an easy task at all, especially when we are ranked 10th as in our case.
“We came close against South Africa and went on to beat Australia. That was really a good fight from the boys. We now need to work a bit more on our batting since our bowling has been fantastic. We also discovered the immense talent in many upcoming players such as John Nyumbu and others.
“Those are the positives we drew from the matches we played and we need to take that as a platform to achieve more in future.
“The performance was nothing less than a direct result of the hard work that the boys put into it. The past three weeks have been hectic for the boys as they tried their best to apply that work ethic in the real game situation,” he said.
The former Manicaland coach said for him as a coach getting his maiden triumph over a highly rated side was inspiring.
“For me, the job is to prepare the team and make sure we employ strategies that earn us victories. Getting a victory over a world-class outfit is something that inspires one to achieve more. Given the right attitude and mentality, we will compete with the best in the world,” he said.
On a dry Harare Sports Club pitch, Zimbabwe’s spinners relished the challenge and duly choked Australia with extra turn and bounce to restrict them to 209-9.
Part-timer Sean Williams was particularly outstanding with 2-21 from his 10 overs, while experienced off-spinner Prosper Utseya, who would later seal a famous win with a big six over deep mid-wicket, was also impressive with 2-45.
Ever-improving off-spinner Nyumbu, who opened the bowling with seamer Donald Tiripano, took one wicket as did part-time spinner Malcolm Waller.
Tiripano took a brace of wickets.
But a record eighth wicket partnership against Australia between Chigumbura and Utseya (30 not out) would take Zimbabwe home with three wickets in hand to give the locals a rare victory and send the home crowd into zealous celebrations.
Chigumbura was particularly devastating yet calm in chase, smashing four boundaries from 68 balls.
Zimbabwe’s national cricket team rolled back the years with a classic show to stun Australia by three wickets, their first ODI win over the world number one ranked side in 31 years.
Appearing in their first ever World Cup tournament three decades ago, the newly independent nation of Zimbabwe shocked the cricketing world when they upset giants Australia by 13 runs at Nottingham in England in 1983 to announce their arrival on the world cricketing stage with some style.
This week bookmakers in the game were quick to rewind 31 years ago, on June 9 at Trent Bridge, when the then Zimbabwe captain engineered the win with a man-of-the-match performance.
Stalwart Duncan Fletcher, now coach of India, scored an unbeaten half-century of 69 as the unheralded Zimbabweans totalled a competitive 239 before bowling out the Aussies for 226.
This week, it was Zimbabwe’s ODI captain, Elton Chigumbura, whose unbeaten half-century (52) steered Zimbabwe home after the bowlers had laid the foundation with a praiseworthy effort in conditions that gave the spin-bowlers assistance.
Online Reporter