Online Reporter
Forward Nyanyiwa in CARLOW, Ireland
FOR a fleeting moment, as time had seemingly been frozen by the euphoria of the occasion, it felt as though we had been transported to the grounds of Carlow College − the home of Carlow Cricket Club.
But, this was Harare Sports Club.
The Ireland senior men’s cricket team was in the capital, playing their perennial nemesis Zimbabwe in a three-match ODI series.
The scorching summer sun and the “non-Irish” temperatures of 26 degrees Celsius brought us back to reality.
This was not by any measure the freezing and often chilly Carlow weather.
THis was a typical Friday morning in Harare with a warm and humid easterly wind sweeping across the Harare Sports Club − a sprawling sporting facility that sits on the edge of the Avenues area of Zimbabwe’s capital.
Above us, birds precariously perched on the swaying pine trees, their melodic songs interchanging in perfect harmony − a striking reminder of the tranquil scenes at Penney’s Park in Carlow.
But l reckon, none could have begrudged us because the atmosphere in the visiting Irish bay was undeniably Carlovian.
It was home away from home,
The vibrant green, white and orange Irish colours illuminated the bay and a sense of patriotism and togetherness silently bonded everyone into a single unit.
As fate would have conspired to script it, it was the day of love − St Valentine’s Day.
Love was actually present in the Irish bay.
As both sets of teams slowly walked onto the pitch, emotions ran high, one could only drop a tear or two of happiness.
The lads strode in with a spring in their steps and an unwavering confidence written all over their frames.
The dark green uniforms the Irish donned reminded all and sundry of the religious St Patrick’s Day processions along Tullow Street.
There were about a little more than 100 Irish supporters cheering the lads but something was striking among the lot.
Given that Ireland were the visiting team, rarely could one have thought of Zimbabweans rooting for the Irish.
To everyone’s surprise, draped in our Irish regalia and waving the Irish flag, my wife and l took the Irish bay by storm.
The rare spectacle started in the parking lot where our car – adorned with Irish stickers, caught the attention of many.
Here we were, conversing in Zimbabwean vernacular, yet passionately rooting for Ireland.
Everyone seemed stunned at how we could be supporting Ireland. Before we could take our seats, two Irish ladies approached.
“How come you are supporting Ireland when you look Zimbabwean?” an Irishwoman asked.
I replied:
“We live in Carlow and Ireland is our second home.”
A wave of applause erupted and, to our amazement, we got a standing ovation.
Many had travelled from different parts of the world to cheer the team and some were resident in Zimbabwe and neighbouring South Africa.
But, in that moment, one thing was certain, we were the only ones from Carlow and our love for Ireland had never felt stronger.
The spectacle was capped by the exciting match, which ended in a win for Zimbabwe by 49 runs.
As we packed our bags back and left our home in Zimbabwe to fly back to Carlow, we still felt we were travelling home, even though it’s far away from home.
Mathew Masinge