adminZIMBABWE Cricket vice-chairperson Maureen Kuchocha has praised the cricket national team for a gallant show against the world’s best Test team – the Proteas of South Africa.
Although Zimbabwe brave resistance against the world’s best Test side melted in dramatic fashion in the afternoon session on Tuesday as South Africa took full advantage to seal a nine-wicket victory on the fourth day of the one-off Test at Harare Sports Club, many neutrals saluted the Zimbabweans for a brave display that almost stretched the Proteas to the final day of the one-off Test match.
In an interview on Wednesday, the Marymount Teachers’ College lecturer, Kuchocha, said the national team’s performance against the South Africans was commendable.
“To me, the boys really did well given that we were playing against the best team on the planet. No one gave them a chance before the match and no one really thought they would go that far in this one-off Test match.
“The fact that they managed to hold their own and restrict the South Africans to let the match end on the fourth day means a lot in terms of the potential that we have. I really want to salute them for a fine display,” she said.
Kuchocha praised new coach Steve Mangongo for fusing young blood with experience.
“I think it is also imperative to note that the coach (Mangongo) did a good job in fusing young blood with their experienced counterparts. It actually paid off for us.
“As a nation, it shows that we have a platform to develop talent. Knowing the coach as I do, I have no doubt that he also did well in imparting the right message before and during the match. It was evident from the performance of the youngsters during the Test match that the coach had imparted the right message to them,” she said.
In the match against the Proteas, the hosts looked well set, first in pursuit of the 141-run arrears, as opener Vusi Sibanda, after the drama he provided on the third day but still managed to survive, provided the backbone that saw them reach 80-2 at lunch.
They even took that score to 98-2, which meant that the deficit was now 43, with eight wickets in hand and the two lost batsmen, including a night watchman, Donald Tiripano, who once again impressed with his grit as he frustrated the visitors in his vigil.
But when Mark Vermeulen and Sibanda perished, in quick succession, it signalled a collapse and only a brave eighth wicket stand between the impressive wicket-keeper batsman, Richmond Mutumbami, and tail-ender, John Nyumbu, ensured that the hosts forced the Proteas to bat again.
That, in itself, was a small victory for a team that many pundits said would be blown away with ease.
Online Reporter