Heavy loss for Zim U19 cricket team

ZIMBABWE’S hopes of progressing beyond the Super Six stage of the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup were virtually ended yesterday following a 225-run defeat to Australia in the penultimate round of firstround matches.

Despite the heavy defeat, Zimbabwe will progress to the Super Six stage with a victory over Namibia in tomorrow’s final match of the first round as the Top 3 teams move into the next stage.

However, given that Super Six teams carry forward points against fellow qualifiers back-to-back defeats against Sri Lanka and Australia means whoever wins the clash tomorrow will progress empty-handed.

That then makes it virtually impossible to secure a top-two finish in the Super Six groups for a place in the semi-final.

Opting to bat first in Kimberley, which had notably produced low-scoring games in the tournament so far, Australia got off to a promising start in the Powerplay.

Harry Dixon and Sam Konstas reeled off seven boundaries in the first 10 overs, mixing caution with good intent.

The first breakthrough didn’t come until the 19th over when off-spinner Brendon Sunguro came around the wicket to the right-handed Konstas and cleaned him up by piercing the gap between bat and pad.

Hugh Weibgen, who had played a key role in Australia’s win over Namibia in a low-scoring affair earlier in the week at the same venue, walked in and teamed up with Dixon to pile on the runs.

Boundaries flooded for Australia post-Konstas’ dismissal as Dixon and Weibgen took the attack to Zimbabwe. Dixon looked set for a hundred, but Sunguro returned to bowl him for 89 to give Zimbabwe a wicket against the run of play.

Harjas Singh was run out soon after and Ryan Simbi dismissed Weibgen after he made a run-a-ball 68.

With Ryan Hicks and Aidan O’Connor dismissed soon after, Zimbabwe had made a comeback of sorts, but any hope of restricting the Aussies in the death overs was quashed by Tom Campbell.

His cameo helped Australia smash 45 runs off the last three overs, including 21 in the final over. Campbell finished unbeaten on 47 off 28 balls as Australia made 296/7 in 50 overs. The Aussies came out all guns blazing with the ball, reducing Zimbabwe to 3 for 3 inside the first three overs. Mahli Beardman took the new ball this game, unlike the last, and made an instant impact with two wickets in his opening over.

Charlie Anderson bowled Campbell MacMillan in the next over as three of the top four batters fell for a duck.

Just as Zimbabwe was trying to consolidate, a run-out brought another wicket for Australia as the impressive Konstas produced a direct hit that caught Nathaniel Hlabangana short.

Ronak Patel and Sunguro rebuilt for Zimbabwe

but Harkirat Bajwa’s mystery spin kept the run-scoring on a leash. O’Connor soon reaped the benefits at the other end as Sunguro fell for 12.

It was the opening Bajwa needed and the spinner snared the next three wickets to leave Zimbabwe on the brink of a loss. O’Connor sent back Patel, the only batter to offer some resistance, for 36 and Bajwa took the final wicket to finish with figures of 4/15.

Australia, like Sri Lanka, now has two wins in two games in Group C. Zimbabwe will now play Namibia in a virtual eliminator in the final game of the group.

Player of the Match Harry Dixon expressed that taking his time to settle in was crucial to his match-winning knock. “It was a bit of a tricky start, it was about knowing your skills and backing yourself to catch up at the back end of the innings by digging in for a few overs. I think batting time was actually key on that wicket.” — Sports Reporter/ICC

ZIMBABWE Cricket has banned national team players Wessly Madhevere and Brandon Mavuta from cricket for four months for recreational drug use.

The two received the sanction after admitting — when they appeared for a disciplinary hearing last Wednesday — to charges of breaching the ZC Employment Code of Conduct that arose when they tested positive for a banned recreational drug during an in-house doping test in December.

On top of the ban, Madhevere and Mavuta have been fined 50 percent of their salaries for three months, with effect from January 2024, while they also received final written warnings valid for 12 months.

As they undergo rehabilitation overseen by ZC medical personnel, they have also been ordered to train under ZC’s High-Performance program.

In a statement, ZC said they have zero tolerance towards drugs and drug taking and, in imposing the sanctions, the Disciplinary Committee considered that drug taking was a serious offence and that the breach by the two players had brought the organisation and the game of cricket into disrepute. In taking the decision, the Committee also considered some mitigating factors, with both players showing remorse and having already started working on withdrawing from the habit and getting their systems clean. Mavuta issued a public statement apologising to cricket stakeholders last week.

Meanwhile, ZC has with immediate effect suspended another national team player, Kevin Kasuza, from all cricket activities, pending a hearing, after he tested positive for a banned recreational drug during an in-house doping test last week.

He is due to appear for a disciplinary hearing soon.

Kasuza is being charged under the ZC Employment Code of Conduct — Sports Reporter/Zimbabwe Cricket.