The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda Senior Sports Reporter
IT is every sportsman’s dream to represent their country at international level. That vision becomes even more special if that first ever appearance is achieved against the best team in the world. For off spinner John Nyumbu, years of hard work finally paid off when he made his Test debut for Zimbabwe against South Africa, the top cricket playing nation in the world. It was in the only Test played at Harare Sports Club.
Zimbabwe lost the five-day match to the Proteas by nine wickets inside four days.
Nyumbu took five wickets for 157 runs in the 49.3 overs that he bowled, seven of those overs not costing a run at an economy rate of 3.17 overs. Because of his success in the Test, he was given a run in front of his home crowd in the ODIs against the Proteas in the three-match ODI series played at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo where the bowler did not disappoint.
The 29-year-old Bulawayo-born off spinner became only the second Zimbabwean bowler to claim a five wicket haul on Test debut after seamer Andy Blignaut took five wickets for 73 runs in the first Test against Bangladesh at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo in April 2001.
It was an incredible journey for Nyumbu who has been playing first class cricket for 10 years, been in and out of Zimbabwe A over the years until his big international break came against the Proteas.
Asked whether he knew he would be given a run in that Test match, Nyumbu said he did have an idea he had a great chance of squaring off against South Africa since he was the only spin bowler named when the 15-man squad for the Test was announced ahead of the five-day contest.
“I kind of had an idea I had a good chance of playing like a week before but knew when the team was announced day before Test. Was only spinner in the squad so that’s why,’’ said Nyumbu.
The bowler said he actually cried when he was named in the squad of 15 players and his reaction was not the same when Coach Stephen Mangongo announced the starting line up after the last practice a day before the game.
“The coach announced the side in the changing room after last practice before the game. Was so overwhelmed by emotions but not as much as I was when a squad of 15 was announced because I actually cried,’’ said Nyumbu.
On the day of the Test, Nyumbu and fellow debutant, fast bowler Donald Tiripano were handed their Test caps by Zimbabwe Cricket acting chairman Wilson Manase.
He was first required to bat before he could bowl facing up to the famed South African pace bowling trio of Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Vernon Philander as well as debutant spinner Dane Piedt.
Nyumbu described it as a great experience facing those bowlers and was disappointed to be dismissed by Steyn who had him caught behind for two runs off 29 deliveries as Zimbabwe were all out for 256 runs in their first innings.
Zimbabwe Test captain Brendan Taylor handed Nyumbu the ball in the 12th over of the South African innings after the opening bowling pair of seamers Tinashe Panyangara and Tiripano had failed to find the breakthrough.
Nyumbu says he was nervous at first but calmed down soon as he landed his first delivery and got on with the job at hand.
He was slammed for a six over long on by South African opener Alviro Petersen but that did not seem to bother him. In his sixth over, Nyumbu had his first ever Test wicket in bizarre circumstances. Petersen tried to paddle sweep Nyumbu, got a thin edge down leg, the ball hit the wicketkeeper Richmond Mutumbami who leapt to his right and caught the ball with his right hand.
Further wickets came for Nyumbu with the dismissals of Francois Du Plessis, Abraham De Villiers, Steyn and finally Jean Paul Duminy, the last man out in the South Africa first innings as the visitors made 397 runs.
Nyumbu said it was hard for him to describe that feeling; all he could say was that he was still feeling the moment.
Having played first class cricket since 2004, found himself in and out of Zimbabwe A, Nyumbu feels that he did not do anything different to finally make his international debut but having a good season with his franchise Matabeleland Tuskers helped him a lot.
At the end of last season Nyumbu was the joint leading wicket taker on 34 wickets in the country’s premier first class competition the Logan Cup with Tiripano, the first time ever that the spinner had topped the country’s first class bowling charts since he made his debut in 2004.
An off spinner, whose strength is getting phenomenal turn and has an ability to bowl long spells, Nyumbu, said after claiming five wickets against the best Test playing nation, he now wants to take it one game at a time, not to get ahead of himself and make sure he works harder at his processes and work ethic to be considered for all formats of the game.
With the country’s number one off spinner for years Prosper Utseya having been sidelined by illness for the Proteas Test, Nyumbu is of the view that the two of them can actually be fielded together in a Test match if there was need for an extra spinner. The two spinners were picked for the ODIs against South Africa which turned out to be a wise move as they managed to find some turn at Queens Sports Club.
On his ODI experience, Nyumbu said it was more challenging than Test cricket in terms of the tempo of the game because of the smaller margin of error but he was enjoying the challenge.
The Bulawayo boy said he was grateful of all the support he was getting from the local fans. Nyumbu picked up the big wickets of South African openers Hashim Amla and Quinton de Cock in the second ODI in a match in which he took two wickets for 44 runs in the 10 he bowled.
“I really appreciate the support from the fans they were shouting my name and encouraging me even when I got hit for 20 runs in the first game and when I was swinging and missing in the second,” said Nyumbu.
The bowler dedicated his success against the Proteas to his wife Sheila who has stood by him over the years. He also praised the Almighty for sparing his life when the bus he was travelling in from Bulawayo to Harare for a Zimbabwe A camp in Harare in June was involved in an accident in Norton, a mishap which claimed the life of the bus driver.
“A special mention to my wife Sheila for being my pillar of strength through my long road to international cricket. Where I have been written off she kept encouraging me and this fifer I am dedicating it to her and not forgetting God for guidance and protection from the jaws of death from the near fatal accident. To God be the glory,” said Nyumbu.
After years of sweat and toil, Nyumbu has finally been given the break in international cricket and it is now up to him to maintain his place in the sun.
