adminBlessing Malinganiza
SPINNER Wessly Madhevere said it was a dream come true after his stunning hat-trick guided the Chevrons to a nervy one-run win over the Netherlands to level the ODI series 1-1 at Harare Sports Club yesterday.
The two sides will now meet in the decider, at the same venue, tomorrow which, according to expectations, could break records for attendance figures, at the home of domestic cricket.
“First of all it feels good,” said the all-rounder.
“I never imagined myself getting a hat-trick but, I mean, it happened today.
“All credit to the coaches, these are the guys that believed in me.
“I mean, there’s no better feeling than this one to be honest. Hopefully I will be able to do it again.”
His three successive wickets, in one over, inspired Zimbabwe to victory.
The 25-year-old came into the attack with Netherlands on 213/3 needing 59 runs from 42 balls.
Zimbabwe had laboured to 271 runs all out inside 49.2 overs.
He had Colin Ackerman stumped by wicketkeeper, Clive Madande, off his first ball of the over.
Madhevere bowled a beauty of a delivery, clean bowling Teja Nidamanuru, the first match hero for the Dutch, for a duck.
He then broke Paul Van Meekeren’s timber off the third ball to complete his historic hat-trick.
Madhevere became only the third Zimbabwean bowler to claim an ODI hat-trick.
He joins an illustrious company that has the likes of Eddo Brandes, the former Zimbabwe seamer who picked a hattrick against England in 1997, at Harare Sports Club.
And, former captain Prosper Utseya, who achieved his feat at the same ground against South Africa in 2014.
Madhevere finished the match with three wickets for 36 runs from nine overs.
He was named the player-of-the-match and walked away with a US$500 cheque.
Sean Williams top-scoring with 77 on his return to the squad after a long lay off due to injury.
Online Reporter