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Tinashe Kusema
TEST débutantes Prince Masvaure and Peter Joseph (PJ) Moor made the most of their chance in whites during the just ended series against New Zealand. Masvaure, a gritty 10-year veteran of First Class cricket in Zimbabwe, had not had the best of seasons going into the tour. He featured in four (eight innings) Logan Cup matches for the Midwest Rhinos, scored a paltry 103 runs during which his highest score was 27 runs and finished the season with an average of 12,43.
This was drastic contrast to his previous effort, during the 2014/15 season, where he scored 472, averaged 33,71 and finished sixth on the Logan Cup top run scorers chart. There was also the issue of his “weight”; one of the unfortunate sub-plots of the 27-year-old’s career.
His saving grace only came weeks before the New Zealand visit when Zimbabwe A hosted South Africa in Two Unofficial Test series. As for PJ Moor, the Rhinos batman had failed to inspire his team to any trophies despite being amongst the crème of the crop during the 2015/16 domestic season but found form when it mattered the most.
“Making my Test debut will forever be one the major highlights of my career,” said Moor.
“The fact that it has been something I have always wanted and that it came with a half century with my parents present made the moment that much special.”
Moor’s debut was truly a beauty.
With the Chevrons down 1-0 in the series and desperately in need of a miracle to stay alive in the second Test, after New Zealand had posted a resounding 582/4; Moor and Craig Ervine stepped up to deliver the goods.
Ervine (146) was the chief architect, while Moor (77) played the cameo role.
The two shared an outstanding 148-run sixth-wicket partnership; one which kept the Blackcaps at bay and would see Zimbabwe score its biggest score of the series (362).
Just a week earlier, Moor’s Rhinos teammate, Masvaure, had had his own day in the sun.
Sent in to bat, during the first Test, the Chevrons were reeling at 72 runs for eight wickets, courtesy of the short ball by Neil Wagner who went on to post career best figures of six for 41.
Up stepped Masvaure, batting at an unfancied number seven, alongside tail-ender Donald Tiripano (number 10).
The two batted for almost three hours and faced 260 balls in the 85-run ninth wicket partnership; one that showed more fight and character than any of the so-called senior players had demonstrated on the day.
Masvaure’s secret?
Prayer and lots of experience.
“Well, when I selected into the squad, I was full of confidence and saw it as the result of a lot of years of struggle and hard work. The night before the first Test, I was told that I was playing and started getting very nervous.
“Luckily, I turned to God, like I always do in such circumstances, and it was through his word that I calmed down and finally started to have some of that confidence back,” he said.
“When I got in to bat with the team struggling, I wasn’t the least bit worried. I simply told myself that I might be playing my first international Test, and considered a rookie by most people, but I had the experience and it was my time to prove my worth. I simply went back to my game and backed myself to pull us out of that mess.
“Luckily Donald (Tiripano) was doing well and that allowed me to play my game more freely,” he said.
Online Reporter