The Sunday Mail
Don Makanyanga
Sports Reporter
IT was a bitter-sweet experience for Sharne Mayers as she made her debut for the Lady Chevrons last week.
The 29-year-old top order batter’s debut would read like a script written by the cricket gods.
“It was a very proud moment for me and it felt great that it was in my hometown, a place where I watched my first international match, and (I) wanted to play an international on the same ground. It was even more special having my family there,” said Mayers.
As the dream of playing her first official ODI unfolded before her eyes, it, however, became a bitter-sweet experience.
First it was the excitement of realising her dream and then came a disappointing outing in the field, as she was sent back to the pavilion for a duck after facing only three deliveries.
“There were definitely mixed emotions on my debut. I was happy to play an official ODI for Zimbabwe but disappointed in how I mishit a ball I usually send to the boundary.
“Bitter-sweet, but that’s cricket and we keep focused on the next game,” she said.
Now that she has achieved one of her childhood dreams, her focus has shifted to making a mark for the Lady Chevrons as they battle it out for a place at next year’s World Cup in New Zealand.
“It’s a first for Zimbabwe to host the Women’s World Cup Qualifiers (we have hosted other qualifiers before).
“It’s a tournament that I am proud to play in and very excited to be part of a sport that is growing exponentially, which is seen by the number of teams from all over the world.
“I am most excited about exposing more people to women’s cricket and how it has impacted my life and that of many of my teammates, and how it can change lives for the youth of this country.”
Mayers debut for the Lady Chevrons coincided with her return to the national team after a sabbatical.
“Just to clear something up, I was not injured for two years. I had taken time away from the international game to focus on my career away from cricket, as one cannot play at the highest level forever.
“I am based in Johannesburg.
“I have thought a lot about coming back to play in Zimbabwe and I love representing my country as it is a privilege that I have never taken for granted,” she said.
She described the 3-0 series loss to Bangladesh in their warm-up games as disappointing. However, “there were a lot of takeaways’’ going into the ICC Women World Cup qualifiers, which come to life today.
“The loss to Bangladesh was disappointing, but we have identified areas we need to work on and the mood in camp is positive.
“It was a much-needed series before the qualifiers and I am happy we got to play and see where as individuals we need to adjust to give the best performance for the team.
“It is key to focus on one game at a time and not dwell on what was, especially going into the tournament.”
Apart from cricket, she also has had an illustrious career in hockey.
“I have been involved in hockey almost as long as I have been in cricket. I have represented Zimbabwe at Under-21 and women’s level in international tournaments.
“Now I am an International Hockey Federation (FIH) international umpire, and have umpired at various international tournaments from 2015 to 2021.”
