NEWLY crowned NPL T20 Blast champions SOGO Rangers coach, South African Ryan Maron has been thoroughly impressed by the local cricket environment and has expressed his desire to continue his association with Zimbabwean cricket.
This is not Maron's first romance with the southern African country, having previously fallen in love with the country and finding his soulmate in the capital.
The former West Indies and Afghanistan fielding coach has been swept off his feet by the warm hospitality and passion for cricket in Zimbabwe and is eager to extend his stay.
"I'm excited to continue my journey with Zimbabwean cricket," Maron told Standardsport.
"The environment, the people, and the passion for the game have all captivated me. I'm looking forward to making a meaningful contribution to the sport in this beautiful country. Half of my family is Zimbabwean. I'm married to a Zimbabwean, she's from Harare. My sister's married to a Bulawayan (from Bulawayo), so I'd like to come back, it's close to home. I'd like to be able to offer my services in Zimbabwe. I think they're amazing people, and if I can add value to Zimbabwe cricket from the youth up to the seniors, that'll be amazing."
Rangers beat National Premier League champions Takashinga Patriots 1 by 35 runs under floodlights to pocket US$25 000.
Jayden Schadenhorf walked away with the batter and player of the tournament gongs.
"I'm very blessed, very honoured, very proud of the players. This wasn't a one or two-player team, this is a squad effort, and everybody pulled together from off the field, on the field, people behind the scenes," added Maron.
- Zim charms SOGO Rangers coach
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SOGO Rangers showed no restraint displaying an attacking brand of cricket throughout the tournament. They lost only one match, their final round-robin stage encounter against Westside Cricket Club of Manicaland.
"Well, we had a DNA so we always followed our five pillars and we made sure that we stuck to that and we have the Rangers DNA, which is mostly around respect and making sure that we're always pulling together and showing respect for the game and opposition and people who assisted to make this possible," he said.
"We want to play good cricket, we want to keep it simple, and I think our catching has let us down a little bit, but luckily, we pulled it through in the final."
Rangers chairperson Jason Maritz said the chemistry in the team carried them through.
"The key factor behind our success was the combination of talented players, effective team chemistry, and exceptional coaching. Our focus on player development, particularly through the ACHPP program, by the likes of Gary Brent, Johnathan Campbell, and the ACHPP team, has been instrumental in nurturing young talents like Benjamin Banks, Kohl Viljeon and Schadendorf amongst others and preparing them for the demands of top-level cricket," said Maritz.
"This success was not achieved overnight but started three or four years ago when we started in Division 2. We're proud of the hard work and dedication shown by our players, coaches, and support staff."
He said their success on their debut NPL seasons opens avenues for continued growth.
"This achievement is a significant milestone in our journey, validating our development strategy and inspiring confidence in our approach. We're committed to continuing our investment in youth development, including our junior cricket programs," he said.
"Looking ahead, we're excited to be in discussions about securing a permanent ground where we plan to develop first-class facilities, including access to the Hub's indoor nets, gym, top-class coaches, and medical support for our club members. This will provide our players with the very best resources to hone their skills and take their game to the next level."
The success has been made possible by their growing list of partners.
"We're grateful for the support of our sponsors, SOGO, MWOS, Lauetta and Alliance Health, who share our vision for success. We look forward to building these relationships further and welcoming more sponsors that want to get involved with us," added Maritz.
