Raza happy with Chevrons’ improvement

Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE cricket all-rounder Sikandar Raza, who stepped into the immortality of being one of two players to score at least 80 runs in both innings of a Test match also take five wickets, says they are making huge strides as a team. The Chevrons have impressed their fans with their return to form and after a successful tour of Sri Lanka, in which they won their first ODI series in that country, they battled their way to their first draw in a Test match in a dozen years in the second battle against the West Indies in Bulawayo.

Despite being on the back foot for most of their second innings, the Chevrons showed a different side of their game and ground their way to a deserved draw by batting most the final day of the contest. The Zimbabwe cricket team have scored more than 300 runs in five of their last six innings and a number of centurions have stood up to be counted during that run. Raza was named man-of-the-match for the second Test.

”Thanking everyone for their kind messages and wishes, certainly a series where @zimCrickettv made huge strides in the right direction,” he tweeted with a picture of his man-of-the-match award.

Coach Heath Streak has been receiving a lot of praise for the way he continues to transform his men into a very competitive outfit whose main aim, right now, is to qualify for the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup in England and Wales. The 10-team ICC Cricket World Cup qualifier will be held in Zimbabwe and the Windies will also be part of the show with the top two countries booking their tickets to the finals.

There are many who also feel Zimbabwe would have won the second Test had their pace spearhead Kyle Jarvis not been ruled out of the match because of injury. Jarvis returned home to play for his country after ending his English county cricket adventure. The Chevrons are likely to be crowned Team of the Year at the Annual National Sports Awards next month with Streak also the favourite for the Coach of the Year award.

Zimbabwe Cricket could also win the award for best administration while any of Hamliton Masakadza, Graeme Cremer, Raza or Brendan Taylor, who helped Nottinghamshire beat Surrey to win the Royal London Cup in English county cricket in July, are also in the running for the Sportsperson of the Year award.