The sweet moment Chibhabha siblings met in a cricket match

Tinashe Kusema

THE Eagles franchise owe a debt of gratitude to the Lady Chevrons.

Were it not for the eye-catching performance by the “Golden Girls”, as some in cricket circles have started calling them, at the Africa Games in Ghana, which dominated the pages and internet, the Harare Metropolitan-based cricket franchise would be the biggest cricketing story right now.

And the story is not pleasing for the Eagles franchise.

This follows their humiliating 213-run defeat to English county side Durham in the final of the Domestic T20 competition at Harare Sports Club last weekend.

Chasing what turned out to be an unattainable 230 runs for victory, the local franchise was bundled out for 16 runs.

“We are definitely disappointed that we didn’t manage to defend our title,” said Eagles skipper Chamunorwa Chibhabha.

“It would have been a hat-trick of trophies had things gone our way. Sadly, that didn’t happen.”

Chibhabha described the team’s batting performance as a “freak of a game”.

“I remember telling the boys, back in the dressing room, to forget about what had just happened,” he said.

“The way we played the night before to force ourselves into that final, that is who we are; not this result. One bad game cannot erase all the good that came during the entire season.”

Luckily for him and the Eagles, the disastrous performance was eclipsed by the Lady Chevrons’ heroics at the ongoing African Games last week.

Zimbabwe beat South Africa by two wickets in the Super Over to win the first gold medal of the sport at the competition, as it was making its debut. The medal was Zimbabwe’s second gold medal of the competition and the latest addition to the haul, which also includes a silver and two bronze medals.

Modester Mupachikwa finished the tournament as the Games’ best batter, while young Kelis Ndhlovu was named Player of the Tournament.

Back home, Chibhabha has since replaced last weekend’s embarrassment with another memory — a good one this time.

On the morning of the match against Durham, the former Zimbabwe Chevrons’ skipper received a call from his sister, Julia, who informed him that she would be standing in the final as the match referee.

The two Chibhabha siblings met at the centre of the pitch as the older of the two, Julia, conducted the toss between Chamunorwa Chibhabha and Durham’s skipper Alex Lees.

Images from the encounter has since lit up the internet.

It was the coming together of two former great Zimbabwe internationals bonded by both their love of cricket and each other.

“That was a very special moment for us,” said Chamunorwa.

“She (Julia) has given a lot to the game after representing Zimbabwe and leading the Lady Chevrons in the past.

“Our careers, while they have never intersected like that before, have many similarities, as we both played and led our nation proudly, and standing on the middle of the pitch like that with her was just priceless.”

As a former international, Julia has the distinction of being the first Lady Chevrons captain. She also represented Zimbabwe at two official One-Day Internationals (ODI) and five women’s T20s.

She has plenty more caps earned before Zimbabwe women’s cricket attained ODI and T20 status. She is Zimbabwe Cricket’s only female accredited coach, an accredited match official and the convenor of selectors for the national women’s cricket team.

Most recently, the 41-year-old joined the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees.

“We have always been close for as long as I can remember, and we have both watched each other come up in this sport,” said Chamunorwa. “I am proud of her, just as much as she is proud of me.

“That is the nature of our relationship. While cricket is a big part of our lives, and we owe a lot to this game as it helped us put food on the table, it is not what bonds us. Family and love are what bonds us, first and foremost, and then we are lucky to share a passion for this game.”

On the other hand, Chamunorwa is a veteran of five Tests, 109 ODIs and 36 T20s in a career that spans over 18 years.

The only blemish to an otherwise stellar career is the fact that it has been hindered by numerous injuries, some of which have stopped him from bowling, while others stalled his progression on the international cricket scene.

Fortunately, the 37-year-old has since worked himself back to full fitness.

“I had a knee injury that really set back my career a couple of years ago, and that is why I stopped bowling,” he said.

“I have since worked on it, going through extensive rehab, spending time with the physiotherapist and putting the hours in the gym. The process went well, and I am just glad to be playing again and enjoying my cricket.”

On chances of a return to international cricket, Chamunorwa said: “I don’t think too much about it. I am just trying to enjoy playing cricket again and once that happens, then everything else will take care of itself.”