BY SPORTSCAST WRITER
HARARE – Sogo Rangers, who have won Zimbabwe’s National Premier League (NPL) title in their debut season after beating a very experienced Takashinga 1 side in the final, had toyed with the idea of fielding three national team players fresh from a tour of England for the blockbuster clash at Harare Sports Club on Saturday night.
With Takashinga threatening to impose their strength on the fledgling Rangers side, the ambitious newcomers had the option to turn to their own firepower in the form of Tadiwanashe Marumani, Dion Myers and Brian Bennett – who were recently with a Zimbabwe select team in the UK.
Rangers however resisted the temptation and stuck to their largely youthful side that wowed crowds with their fearless brand of cricket in the two-week T20 tournament, culminating in the stunning 35-run win over Takashinga under lights on Saturday.
“I think something that the whole of Zimbabwe can learn from us is that the secret to our success is not the short-term success of winning the trophy, it’s the long-term,” Rangers’ head coach in the tournament, Ryan Maron, told SportsCast on Sunday.
“One thing Rangers seem to have got right, and part of it by default, is because of injuries we played the whole of the T20 tournament without any national team bowlers from a seam perspective. But (Benjamin) Banks (fast bowler) stood up, he’s young, he’s 19 years old. (Matthew) Schonken (leg-spinner) stood up, he’s young. When we had players in the national team camp, we had a 17-year-old wicketkeeper (Kohl Viljoen), we had a 17-year-old seamer (Luke van Zyl) who bowled first-change, to the extent that when we got to the final, we contemplated seeing if we could maybe play some of the players that had been on the emerging tour to England because obviously Rangers are missing Dion Myers, (Brian) Bennett, (Tadiwanashe) Marumani. But we decided not to play them because we believe that with the structure we had, we had to believe in the system, and last night was a confirmation of that.”
South African Maron believes strongly that the new but professionally run Harare club’s model will help shape Zimbabwean cricket’s future and play a major role in the revival of game in the country.
“A long-term sustainability of a club is not governed on a quick win of a tournament in your first season, it is: can you constantly win that tournament?” Maron remarked.
“And if Rangers can continuously keep bringing in youngsters with a squad that ranges from the age of 17, as the wicketkeeper, all the way to Sean Williams who is 38, and Craig Ervine who is 38, 39 – then there is enough gap in between where you will see the younger ones getting better. But they will only get better when they pass that learning-turn and that is what (Ryan) Burl and Williams and all of them have offered. They’ve offered the experience, they’ve offered the camaraderie, they’ve offered the buy-in of the team, that the youngsters will learn from. And that’s how you develop structures in a micro sort of environment like Rangers. But that’s how you offer it as well in a macro-environment like a national team. Rangers have looked at how do we get depth, how do we make sure that our 17-year-olds in three years’ time, or four years’ time when they are 21, 22, are now vitally experienced because Sean Williams will be done. But who’s going to replace him?”
Maron – a former West Indies and Afghanistan fielding coach – hailed the rapid emergence of Rangers as a force to reckon with.
“I think this is good news for Zimbabwean cricket that there is another club pushing through with talent to enhance the standards of the league. I think it’s a positive thing,” he said.
“Takashinga is a strong side, experienced side. Showing up in three games and beating them 3-0 is a massive accomplishment for Rangers. And it’s amazing to see Rangers on the board, basically now we will be recognised and taken seriously. I think we are in a good space for the future.”
Maron leaves hugely impressed by the talent pool in the Rangers set-up, with some individuals particularly standing out for him.
“Obviously Jayden (Schadendorf) was a big performer with the bat but also the Welch brothers (Nick and Matt), Jonno Campbell, Ryan Burl, Frosty (Alistair Frost). We had a lot of players who actually didn’t have much opportunity to bat long and got to showcase their amazing abilities. Luckily we had a lot of depth and also a lot of the younger bowlers like Banks and Schonken, these type of bowlers coming through, gained experience in this tournament which will put them in good stead going forward.”
