Zim take on South Africa in mini-Cricket World Cup

SANJAY GOEL
Correspondent | Wednesday November 3, 2010 00:00

 

Rated as one of the most exciting teams to watch, the Zimbabwean side made a mark in last year's tournament, emerging from being no hopers to finish second. They narrowly lost to hosts Botswana in the final.

Zimbabwean captain Hega Chemhuru is looking forward to the game. He wants to take the maximum two points from the game, which will see his side set the pace. The loss to Botswana in the warm-up match last week hardly bothers him, as he was experimenting with new blood in that match.

Zimbabwe will be without their star batsman, the left-handed Tarisai Mahlunge, who is the highest run scorer in Gaborone this year. Mahlunge will miss the game due to bereavement in the family after he lost his mother on Sunday. His colleagues, Brighton Mugochi and Tapiwa Kuhlengisa, who accompanied Tarisai to Zimbabwe, will join the team later.

Zimbabwean-born Gabriel French will lead the South African team. French is equally optimistic about tonight's game. In the last encounter between the two sides in the 2009 Mini-World Cup, South Africa beat Zimbabwe as French scored a half-century. Backed by a solid bowling line-up,  South Africa will be strong contenders to win; in what appears to be an evenly poised encounter.