TAKASHINGA 2 opener Cephas Zhuwao is not giving up on a national team reunion following his massive contribution with the bat during the ongoing National Premier League T20 Blast.
Zhuwao hit a season best 132 runs from just 48 deliveries which included 12 boundaries and 11 sixes in his side’s 101-run win over Gladiators in Highfield in their last round robin match heading into the playoffs. He was the first one out, but Takashinga 2 had raced to 197/1 inside 13.5 overs. Fellow opener, Baxon Gopito scored 61 before returning to the pavilion with the score on 224/2 after 16.3 overs.
The Glen View-based cricketer made himself useful in the field taking three catches as Gladiators ended their innings on 176/8 with Clive Madande scoring 96 from 47 balls and Milton Shumba chipping in with 33 runs on a difficult outing for the Chitungwiza based side.
Zhuwao was named player-of-the-match following his match-winning exploits with the bat and near perfect fielding display.
“It’s good to get back in that form of scoring runs. It’s something that I was wishing for in the first few games that I have played in this tournament because the few games that I played in the UK before coming back to play in the domestic league, I was scoring runs for fun and I could feel that something big was coming my way,” Zhuwao told NewsDay Sport.
“The T10 tournament (inaugural Zim Cyber City Zim Afro T10) actually helped me a lot; you learn and think outside the box on how you go about the shorter versions of the game.”
The aggressive left-handed batsman played nine One Day Internationals for the Chevrons after making his debut in October 2008 against Canada in a Tri-Nations Tournament in Kenya. That team comprised spinner, Raymond Price, former captains Tatenda Taibu, Elton Chigumbura, Prosper Utseya, Chamu Chibhabha and Hamilton Masakadza and he opened the bat with the later scoring 16 runs, Zimbabwe winning that encounter by 156 runs.
Zhuwao’s last ODI match for the Chevrons was against Bangladesh in Chattogram in October 2018. He has scored 154 runs in nine matches averaging 17.11 and a high score of 45. His T20 journey has been short-lived playing only seven matches averaging 6.85 and a high score of 48. The 38-year-old clean hitter of the ball is still feeling like a boy and hopeful of a national team call-up.
- It’s all about hard and smart work, says in form Raza
- ZC hits out at ‘deceitful, greedy’ Taylor
- ERVINE POSITIVE DESPITE POOR END TO SRI LANKA TOUR
- It’s all about hard and smart work, says in form Raza
Keep Reading
“It’s all about having that foundation and solid base for the team for us to keep winning the games. We did set a good platform for the guys in the middle order. I think if we keep doing that we have got a chance to win the tournament,” he added.
“To be honest I don’t know, I also still want to play for my country but that’s not up to me to decide that but I still believe that I still have the touch.”
