The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
TUSKERS players, Ernest Masuku as well as John Nyumbu have reflected on the time they spent in England where they played club cricket.
The two got the opportunity to play club cricket in UK during Zimbabwe’s off season. Masuku turned out for Dukinfield Cricket Club in the Greater Manchester Cricket League Division One. The 26-year-old pace bowling all rounder described it as a great experience to play club cricket in England, something he had never done before.
He took 38 wickets in the 15 matches he played for Dukinfield. On the batting front, Masuku scored 350 runs with a high score 67 not out this coming in a 50 over game. “It was a big experience being my first time away from adapting to different wickets and playing with a few international cricketers from different clubs we played against. I played T20 cricket, 50 overs cricket (league) and 40 overs (club competition).
The Tuskers all rounder feels that playing club cricket in England played a huge part in advancing his game. One thing he did discovered in the UK was to have accountability for himself as well as the team.
“Yes, it did because out there you learn to take responsibility for your game and the team, there is a lot of pressure for you to perform and there is no one to pass the responsibility to, they all look up to you to perform as the paid player,’’ he said.
The 34-year-old Nyumbu played for Grantham Cricket Club in the Lincolnshire ECB Premier league 50 over format. Being in unfamiliar conditions was something good for Nyumbu as he got to face all kinds of opponents.
“Playing cricket at any level and as often as possible always improves a player and the fact that I played in different conditions against different people was good and also you begin seeing and learning how other people play their cricket and you have to adapt so yes it was good and I think it improved my cricket,’’ Nyumbu said.
He scored about 300 odd runs at an average of 22 with a high score of 68.
Being in England was such a wonderful occurrence for Nyumbu that he would love to do it again.
“It was a good experience enjoyed it very much and I would do it again.”
Masuku and Nyumbu also play for Emakhandeni Cricket Club in the Bulawayo Metropolitan First League.
