The Standard
16 August 2009
By Enock Muchinjo
BULAWAYO — AFTER losing the second ODI to Bangladesh on Tuesday to trail 2-0, the Zimbabwe cricket team got a surprise visit in the changing room from sports minister David Coltart.
Coltart who later said he told the players that they were part of the transition-taking place in the country as sporting ambassadors.
Coltart said the cricketers should not take representing the country lightly as it was an honour and privilege “The minister told us he believed in us. It helped,†captain Prosper Utseya said.
“He told the guys what it meant to be representing the country. It was very encouraging to have a minister motivating us,”
A recharged side, scored 323-7 and then bowling out the Tigers for 254 to win by 69 runs at the Queens Sports Club.
Despite underperforming, Friday’s showing reflected the true level of Zimbabwe’s potential.
Hamilton Masakadza was the man who engineer that victory with a sweet maiden ODI century in his 71st match. Back in 2001 as a Churchill High schoolboy, Masakadza became the youngest man to score a century on his Test debut, against the West Indies in Harare. A very proud and articulate player, Masakadza celebrated his new landmark by pointing emotionally to the Zimbabwe bird emblem on the left-hand side of the Zimbabwe shirt.
“I’ve been waiting for this for a long time,†Masakadza said. “It’s always nice to get off the mark. I’ve been close a few times but today I finally came through. The greatest feeling is that I wanted to do well for the team and we won the game.â€
It was a mature knock by Masakadza. He timed superbly, picked the half volleys with precision and drove with class through the covers.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Brendan Taylor offered support with a solid innings of 94.
The match was a fine example of how well Zimbabwe can do if three or four of its leading players fire at the same time.
Elton Chigumbura, in typical fashion, took the Bangladesh bowlers to the cleaners with a belligerent 61, racing to his half-century from just 26 balls. Then bowling, medium pacer Tawanda Mupariwa took a wicket with his very first ball on his home ground to end with three wickets, the same number as veteran spinner Ray Price.
Mupariwa celebrated each wicket by holding an imaginary baby in dedication to his newly-born son.
Today the two sides meet in the fourth match with neutrals hoping for a series-equalling Zimbabwe win going into Tuesday’s final match.
One of the few blemishes on Friday was Utseya’s insistence with part-time bowlers, which almost gave Bangladesh a glimmer of hope in the mid-innings.
If they sort this out and Sean Williams returns as expected after being sidelined by a minor injury on Friday, then Zimbabwe are in with an excellent chance.