Game of fine margins

Tinashe Kusema

Deputy Sports Editor

IN the time since the Chevrons tour of Sri Lanka, there appears to be more movement behind the scenes rather than on the pitch at Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC).

All-rounders Wesley Madhevere and Brandon Mavuta have been banned from all cricketing activities for the next four months after testing positive for using a recreational drug.

The duo will also have 50 percent of their salaries docked for three months (January to March).

Veteran coach Steve Mangongo has bounced back after being reassigned to the Under-25 national team.

And with the Chevrons set to travel to Bangladesh for five Twenty20 Internationals in May and missing the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in June, local fans will be starved of international cricket for some time.

There are rumours of talks between ZC and Afghanistan, as well as visits from a few county sides, but none have been confirmed yet.

After the trip to the subcontinent, the players have been afforded some room for reflection and introspection.

For Craig Ervine, the One-Day International (ODI) skipper, the defeat to Sri Lanka boils down to the team’s failure to execute the game plan.

Zimbabwe went down 2-0 in the three-match ODI series after the first match ended in a no result due to rain.

The Chevrons then went on to lose the three-match T20 series 2-1.

The outcome of the final match of that series, in which they were bowled out for 82, was especially hard to swallow.

While the results seem to paint a bleak picture, Ervine thinks otherwise.

“I think we played some really good cricket, especially coming off the back of some disappointing results against Ireland and failing to qualify for the T20 World Cup,” said Ervine.

“The guys worked extremely hard from the time we landed in Sri Lanka to the time we left, and the results could have been very different had a few key moments gone our way.

“We lost out in two very close games and had a few things gone our way, the results could have read one-all in the ODIs and 2-1 in our favour in the T20 series.”

In the second ODI, the Chevrons came close to defending 208 runs.

Richard Ngarava’s five for 32 and Sikandar Raza’s two for 32 saw the hosts labour to 211 for eight and carve out a narrow two-wicket victory.

Top-order batter Janith Liyanage’s 95 runs off 127 balls turned out to be the difference maker, as Ngarava took early wickets while Raza and Blessing Muzarabani produced menacing spells.

Of all the regrets Zimbabwe will have from this match, none will be greater than their collapse from the 37th over onwards.

Having been 182 for four and headed towards a score of around 250, the Chevrons lost their last six wickets for a paltry 26 runs.

The first T20 between the two sides remains another talking point of the tour.

The hosts stole victory from the jaws of defeat yet again, as Sri Lanka scored the winning runs off the last ball during another laboured chase of an average target.

T20 skipper Raza had helped the Chevrons to 143 runs for five with his 62 runs off 42 balls and then complemented his innings with bowling figures of three for 13 runs.

The fine margins between victory and defeat in both matches, according to Ervine, were largely due to the players’ failure to execute the game plan and lack of mental strength.

“I think it is a very fine line when you look at it from a different perspective,” Ervine said.

“We did not play spin particularly well and we had plans in place for that going into the tour.

“Sometimes, it does not come down to a skill factor but has a lot to do with the mental approach and the attitude towards executing your game plan.

“Being positive and determined to carry out your game plan and committing to it 100 percent is one of the areas where we could have been a little bit better.

“We were found wanting, particularly in the last match of the tour, as we failed to play Hasaranga (Wanindu), either playing the sweep or using our feet better.”

Ervine did, however, reserve praise for the team’s bowling unit and singled out Ngarava, debutants Faraz Akram and Tapiwa Mufudza.

“There are positives to take from the tour, especially in our new ball spells,” he added.

“Blessing (Muzarabani) and Richie (Ngarava) were exceptional, and I thought Faraz (Akram) and Tapiwa Mufudza all bowled very well during their debuts.

“We had a couple of good performances and spells in the bowling department, and they all collectively gave us a chance of winning games.

“The seamers picked up wickets early and that always allowed our spinners to come in and control things quite nicely during the middle spells.”

Ervine was also happy that the team came out of the tour largely unscathed in terms of injuries.

This means the players will be back in action with their franchises.

After some spirited performances, five Chevrons players have since been rewarded with spells in various international leagues.

These are Ryan Burl, Sean Williams, Muzarabani, Ngarava and Raza.