Chronicle Editor
Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
TUSKERS have retained the core of their 2018/19 season squad, with right-handed batsman and right-arm medium pace bowler Luke Jongwe rejoining the Bulawayo cricket franchise after spending a season at Harare’s Eagles.
Jongwe is expected to be part of the squad that leaves Bulawayo today for the premier 2019/20 Logan Cup season opener against Mountaineers which starts tomorrow and ends on Sunday at Old Hararians.
Tuskers had a forgettable 2018/19 first class cricket season, failing to record a victory in the four-dayer. They, however, upped their game in the shorter versions in which they were beaten in the 50 over final by Eagles before they won the T20 domestic competition.
Nicholas Singo, Tuskers general manager said they have geared up for an improved season.
“Last season wasn’t our best and this time around we are hoping for an improved performance from the squad.
‘‘We started our preseason preparations in early November and for the past month, we’ve been training hard and playing two-day practice matches to get our players ready for the new season. We hope that these training matches we held will make us do better,” said Singo.
The seasoned administrator also hopes to ride on continuity as they retained most of their players.
“We’ve managed to retain a similar squad to that of last season, with Luke Jongwe being our addition. He rejoins us from Eagles where he spent a year. Sikandar Raza who is in Qatar and set to miss our opening games, Christopher Mpofu, Graig Ervine, Sean Williams and John Nyumbu are some of our seasoned players that will lead the team,” Singo said.
Ervine had a slow start last season, picking up form late and Tuskers are hoping that the friendly matches that they played in preparation for the new season have primed players for the competition.
Besides friendly matches, the players spent significant time at the nets.
Besides seasoned players, Ervine, Williams, Nyumbu, Raza, Mpofu as well as top-order batsman Brian Chari, Tuskers hopes will also be pinned on exciting 23-year-old left-arm spinner Ainsley Ndlovu who made his One Day International (ODI) debut in June against The Netherlands and got his T20 international debut in September against Afghanistan in Bengladesh.
Some of the up and coming cricketers that will be part of the squad include 21-year-old left-arm spinner Talent Dzikiti, the pair of all-rounders Panashe Maphosa and Milton Shumba who were part of Zimbabwe’s Under-19 squad. – @ZililoR
Online Reporter