Mixed fortunes for Takashinga

TAKASHINGA Cricket Club let their fine displays with the ball go down the drain yesterday as they allowed hosts Uganda Cricket Association to claw back into the game and snatch a 23-run win in a low-scoring limited overs match at Kyambogo, Eddie Chikamhi writes from Kampala, Uganda. The tourists batted woefully as they were bowled out for a paltry 76 runs.

The team, which is being coached by Emmanuel Dube on the tour, had started on a more promising note when they bowled out the home team for 99 runs.

This was Takashinga’s first loss during the tour, after winning the opening two games against the hosts, who are using the matches to prepare for the ICC Division II League qualifiers set for next month in Namibia.

The tour is also crucial in a way for the Highfield-based club as most of the touring players are also using the opportunity to hone their skills ahead of the Zimbabwe national team camp for the ICC World Cup 2015. The majority of the players in the Takashinga team are part of the 30-member provisional squad called by Zimbabwe Cricket to prepare for the World Cup.

Sadly, they could not get their act together yesterday despite all the good work they had done with the ball earlier on.

There were no strong partnerships and the top scorer was Sikandar Raza Butt, who contributed 18 runs.

The team attributed their shoddy job partly to fatigue, but they will have a rest day today ahead of their next One Day International game tomorrow.

But with yesterday’s batting failure, the Zimbabweans will go into the next game knowing that nothing short of victory will keep the series open.

“It was a bad day in the office. Credit to the Ugandans, they fought well. We had our moments to kill off the game, but I think fatigue and complacency were our major downfall.

“I cannot say that’s an excuse because it’s these guys’ job to play cricket and win. But then we didn’t do the basics right,” said coach Dube.

Zimbabwe posted a two-wicket win in the first match, which was reduced to 20 overs on Tuesday, and then secured a 17-run win the following day.

The Takashinga team arrived in Uganda in the early hours of Tuesday and their first game had to be reduced to a Twenty20 match late in the afternoon as the officials agreed the players needed to rest after travelling for more than 14 hours and arriving just a few hours before the start of the match.

You Might Also Like

Comments