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Tuskers Hope to Keep Momentum PDF Print E-mail
Saturday, 31 October 2009 18:02

MATABELELAND Tuskers’ coach Robin Brown hopes that his franchise continues with its winning form, when they play the Midwest Rhinos in two weeks’ time. The Tuskers will play the Rhinos in the Logan Cup four-day competition starting on November 16 and then Faithwear Metbank Cup ODI match against the same opposition on November 21 at Queens Sports Club.
The Bulawayo-based franchise has performed poorly in earlier matches both in the Logan Cup and the Faithwear Metbank Cup.
The Tuskers are occupying the bottom spot in log standings for the ODI competition and fourth spot in the four-day competition.
Last week, the Tuskers recorded their first wins when they dismissed the Southern Rocks in both formats in Masvingo.
They first won the four-day game by an innings and 214 runs before clinching the ODI match by 39 runs.
“We are looking to improve on our performances from the previous matches we played against them (Rhinos) in the first round,” Brown said.
“If we put up a better performance like what we did against the Rocks we will be able to win against the Rhinos.
“Our seamers must have a good game and if they are able to take at least 20 wickets in the two innings that gives us a good chance to win the game,” Brown said.
The former national team coach praised his cricketers for turning around the franchise’s fortunes at a time some of their top players are away on national duty in Bangladesh.
“We have guys like our spinner John Nyumbu, Terrence Duffin, Dion Ebrahim and Bornaparte Mujuru who have really come to the party while our top players are away in Bangladesh,” he said. “We have worked really hard in the nets in the last weeks and it is now paying off.”
In the four-day game against the Rocks, Duffin scored a career best 114 runs while Nyumbu was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 4-42.
Missing from the Tuskers line up are Mark Vermeulen, Charles Coventry, Chris Mpofu who are away with the national team.
Brown said the reason why they had a false start in the earlier matches was because his batsmen failed to capitalize on good starts.
“We did not live up to the best of our abilities in those matches because we got into some really good positions, but we ended up squandering these chances,” he said.
“Our batsmen really let us down, like in the Faithwear match against Eagles, we started pretty well and at one stage we were 116 for one.
“We ended up crumbling to 237 all out and this is what has been happening in most of our matches.”
Brown confirmed that national team and Tuskers’ all-rounder Sean Williams would be out of action for six weeks, meaning that he will also miss the two ODI matches for Zimbabwe against South Africa this month.
“Sean will have to do without cricket for the next six weeks according to the doctors,” he said.
“He has a hamstring strain and we are hoping that he quickly recovers in time so that he can play for us.”
Williams sustained the injury when he was warming up before the third ODI against Kenya at Harare Sports Club two weeks ago.
The left-handed batsman was then dropped for the current tour of Bangladesh and is set to miss out when Zimbabwe plays the Proteas on November 8 and 10 in South Africa.