The Mountaineers is one of five cricket Zimbabwean cricket franchises. They are a first-class cricket team, based in the Manicaland and Mashonaland East area. They play their home matches at Mutare Sports Club in Mutare.[1]
 | |
| Personnel | |
|---|---|
| Captain | Donald Tiripano |
| Coach |  Njabulo Ncube |
| Team information | |
| Founded | 2009 |
| Home ground | Mutare Sports Club, Mutare |
| Capacity | 1,000 |
| History | |
| First-class debut | Mashonaland Eagles in 2009-10 at Harare Sports Club |
Franchise history edit
Following the decline of the standards of cricket in Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Cricket decided to use a new set of teams for all the first-class, List A and Twenty20 formats of the domestic game. A total of 5 franchises were named, and the Mountaineers team was based in Manicaland.[2]
2009-10 Logan Cup edit
On their debut in this tournament, Mountaineers finished in third place in the group, with three wins from twelve games.[3] Their debut first-class match against Mashonaland Eagles was a draw, thanks mainly to captain Hamilton Masakadza's century.[4] Their first first-class win was against Southern Rocks, whom they crushed by eight wickets.[5] For their third-place finish, Mountaineers could not contest the final.
2009-10 Faithwear Metbank One-Day Competition edit
The Mountaineers had a brilliant tournament, winning the championship by defeating Mid West Rhinos in the final by three wickets. They underlined their dominance in the tournament, by finishing top of the pool with 6 wins from 8 games.[6] In the semi-final, they thrashed the Southern Rocks by seven wickets to enter the final. Players who starred for Mountaineers in that match included Hamilton Masakadza (44*), Tino Mawoyo (40), Stuart Matsikenyeri (36), and Shingirai Masakadza (3-20).[7] In the final against the Rhinos, Mountaineers restricted the opposition to a lowly first-innings score of 144, with captain Prosper Utseya taking 3-24. In return, Mountaineers themselves slipped down to 66-7, before a brilliant fightback by Shingirai Masakadza (41*) and Prosper Utseya (30*) in an unbeaten partnership and the winning runs were scored in style by Masakadza with a lofted six off Malcolm Waller. Rhinos captain Vusi Sibanda had tried nine bowlers, but nothing could break the partnership.[8]
2009-10 Stanbic Bank 20 Series edit
Despite the fact, that the Mountaineers emerged victorious in this tournament, they were pretty shaky in the group stage. They had 3 wins from 5 games, while counterparts Mashonaland Eagles (the group-toppers), had a better record than them, with 4 wins from 5 games.[9] The Eagles were more dominant, as was proved by the 82-run downing given to them by Eagles bowler Ray Price who took figures of 5 for 12 off just 17 deliveries and took his 5th wicket as Natsai Mushangwe was stumped and the match ended.[10] Mountaineers got better in the final, and put the aforementioned disaster behind them to score a massive nine-wicket win and upset, with the victory mostly possible due to Hamilton Masakadza (64*) and Tatenda Taibu (37*).[11]
2010-11 Logan Cup edit
Players edit
When the country was debuting in the 2009-10 Logan Cup, the team consisted of Zimbabwean international and domestic players. Key players at that time included Hamilton Masakadza (Captain), Timycen Maruma, Johnson Marumisa, Shingirai Masakadza, Stuart Matsikenyeri, Tino Mawoyo, Natsai Mushangwe, Njabulo Ncube (who later went on to join his home province Matabeleland Tuskers), Tatenda Taibu (who later on joined Southern Rocks), and Prosper Utseya.[12]
The Mountaineers made their first major overseas signing when they signed up South African all-rounder Greg Smith.[13]
The following season, there were many improvements in the squads. Former South African great fast bowler Allan Donald was named as the franchise's head coach,[14] while players like South Africa's Jonathan Beukes, Sean Ervine,[15] and more prominently, former South African great all-rounder Lance Klusener, who playing in 171 ODIs, had an average of 41.10 at an impressive strike-rate of 89.91,[16] Other signings include Liam Dawson, who scored, aged 21, scored 908 runs for Hampshire County Cricket Club, in the County Championship, and is supposed to have a long time contract with Mountaineers.[17]
For the 2011-12 season, Mountaineers signed overseas players such as Australian star fast bowler, Dirk Nannes, former Black Caps all-rounder Chris Harris, English wicket-keeper Phil Mustard, and Ned Eckersley.[18] Apart from that, former Zimbabwean seamer Gary Brent replaced Donald as coach.[19]
Current squad edit
Players with international caps are listed in bold.
| No. | Name | Nat | Birth date | Batting style | Bowling style | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batsmen | ||||||
| 3 | Timycen Maruma | |
19 April 1988 | Right-handed | Right-arm leg break googly | |
| Innocent Kaia | |
10 July 1992 | Right-handed | Right-arm leg break | ||
| Kevin Kasuza | |
20 June 1993 | Right-handed | Right-arm off break | ||
| 12 | Tino Mawoyo | |
8 January 1986 | Right-handed | Right-arm medium fast | |
| 10 | Hamilton Masakadza | |
9 August 1983 | Right-handed | Right-arm medium | |
| Tinashe Chimbambo | |
8 February 1989 | Right-handed | Right-arm fast-medium | ||
| All-rounder | ||||||
| Roy Kaia | |
10 October 1991 | Right-handed | Right-arm off break | ||
| Wicket-keepers | ||||||
| Forster Mutizwa | |
24 July 1985 | Right-handed | Right-arm off break | ||
| Tafadzwa Tsiga | |
13 July 1994 | Right-handed | Right-arm medium | ||
| Richmond Mutumbami | |
11 June 1989 | Right-handed | Right-arm offbreak | ||
| Joylord Gumbie | |
25 December 1995 | Right-handed | |||
| Spin Bowlers | ||||||
| Wellington Masakadza | |
4 October 1993 | Left-handed | Slow left-arm orthodox | ||
| 13 | Natsai M'shangwe | |
9 February 1991 | Right-handed | Leg break | |
| Pace Bowlers | ||||||
| 15 | Donald Tiripano | |
17 March 1988 | Right-handed | Right-arm fast-medium | Captain |
| 11 | Shingirai Masakadza | |
4 September 1986 | Right-handed | Right-arm fast medium | |
| Victor Nyauchi | |
8 June 1992 | Right-handed | Right-arm fast-medium | ||
| William Mashinge | |
6 October 1996 | Right-handed | Right-arm fast-medium | ||
| 2 | Tendai Chatara | |
28 February 1991 | Right-handed | Right-arm fast-medium | |
Source: ESPNCricinfo[20][21]
Honours edit
Champion
References edit
- ^ Price, Steven (2009-05-08). "Zimbabwe rips up domestic structure and starts again". Cricinfo. ESPN. Retrieved 2010-11-23.
- ^ Price, Steven (2009-05-08). "Zimbabwe rips up domestic structure and starts again". Cricinfo. ESPN. Retrieved 2010-11-23.
- ^ Logan Cup 2009/10 / Points table ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 11 December 2011
- ^ Mountaineers do their best to blow it ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 11 December 2011
- ^ Logan Cup Mountaineers v Southern Rocks First-class match 2009/10 season at Mutare Sports Club ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 11 December 2011
- ^ Faithwear Metbank One-Day Competition 2009/10 / Points table ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 17 December 2011
- ^ Mountaineers thrash Rocks to enter final ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 17 December 2011
- ^ Mountaineers lower order secures trophy ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 17 December 2011
- ^ Stanbic Bank 20 Series, 2009/10 / Points table ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 29 December 2011
- ^ Price downs Mountaineers ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 29 December 2011
- ^ All-round Mountaineers scale Twenty20 peak ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 29 December 2011
- ^ Mountaineers Squad Zimbabwe Domestic Season, 2009/10 ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 11 December 2011
- ^ Mountaineers Squad Stanbic Bank 20 Series, 2009/10 ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 11 December 2011
- ^ Allan Donald to coach Mountaineers ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 11 December 2011
- ^ Sean Ervine Becomes a Mountaineer Archived 2010-11-30 at the Wayback Machine Hampshire County Cricket Club Official Website. Retrieved 11 December 2011
- ^ Klusener to play in Zimbabwe domestic league ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 11 December 2011
- ^ Dawson to play for Mountaineers ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 11 December 2011
- ^ Gayle to play T20s in Zimbabwe ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 11 December 2011
- ^ Gary Brent Replaces Allan Donald as Mountaineers Coach zimcricketnews.com. Retrieved 11 December 2011
- ^ Mountaineers Squad Zimbabwe Domestic Season, 2011/12 ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 29 December 2011
- ^ Mountaineers Squad, Stanbic Bank 20 Series, 2011/12 ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 29 December 2011