Mangongo to ring changes

Brandon Moyo

AFTER a dismal showing in the first one-day match against South Africa Emerging on Tuesday,

Zimbabwe Emerging head coach Steve Magongo hinted that they will be bringing some changes going into the second match at Queens Sports Club today.

Zimbabwe Emerging will be hoping to level the three-match one-day series against their South African counterparts in today’s encounter and Mangongo believes it could be the time to give others the chance to also play.

The gaffer said there is no point in keeping the same players who have struggled to produce results and believes it is time they resort to the bench and give out opportunities to youngsters who have been watching from the sidelines.

He added that players should learn to take responsibility for their performances in the field.

“We are definitely going to ring changes because as an Emerging squad, we are supposed to be bringing in young players. So, if players don’t perform, we go to our bench and we give exposure to others because no one has the right to play, so definitely we will go out there and seek changes.

“As players themselves, when they come into the change room they start feeling sorry for themselves but this is about responsibility, if they don’t take responsibility out there, there is no point in feeling sorry when they are in the change room,” said Mangongo.

Zimbabwe Emerging lost the opening match of the series by seven wickets after a poor start with the bat. The hosts, batting first, were bowled out for 235 runs all out in 49,5 with Alistair Frost and Emmanuel Bawa coming in to the rescue with the bat before South Africa Emerging went on to comfortably chase down the target in 37,5 overs, finishing on 237/3.

Today’s game will be a crunch encounter for both Zimbabwe Emerging and Malibongwe Maketa’s South Africa Emerging side. A win for the hosts will see them level the series one all, making the third game the decider while victory for the visitors will help them take an unassailable 2-0 with only one game left to go.

The last match will take place on Saturday and it will round up the three-weeks long tour which started with two four-day unofficial Test matches which South Africa Emerging won 1-0.