Published: Feb 15, 2015, 05:37 PM (IST)
Edited: Feb 15, 2015, 05:37 PM (IST)
Zimbabwe coach Dav Whatmore was all praise for his team after his side’s fighting performance against South Africa in the opening Pool B fixture at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Sunday. Even though South Africa won the contest by 62 runs, Whatmore was happy with the way his team made the Proteas fight for their win, especially during the early stages of both innings. ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: POINTS TABLE
Very pleased to see the commitment by the lads. They are focussed and ready for Hamilton. Well done Zim! #backyourboys
— Dav Whatmore (@dfwhatmore) February 12, 2015
The day is here & it’s good to begin! Opposition is going to be tough but boys are keen to give a good account of themselves. #backyourboys
— Dav Whatmore (@dfwhatmore) February 14, 2015
Overall effort was good, to play sth Africa first up is tough! I am proud of the fight shown by the boys. This is the minimum standard now!
— Dav Whatmore (@dfwhatmore) February 15, 2015
Whatmore, who coached Sri Lanka to World Cup victory in the 1996 edition, went to the extent of stating that Zimbabwe’s fighting spirit in the game should be set as a new standard for Zimbabwe, which has seen a major decline in international cricket since their days of competitiveness in the late 1990’s. ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: SCHEDULE & MATCH DETAILS
Zimbabwe reduced South Africa to 83 for the loss of four wickets after putting their opponents to bat. They lost the initiative soon after however, as the pair of David Miller (138 not out) and JP Duminy (115 not out) added an unbroken 256-run partnership for the fifth wicket for South Africa to finish on 339 for four.
The Zimbabweans got off to a strong start during their reply, with Chamu Chibhabha (64), and Hamilton Masakadza (80) slamming half-centuries as Zimbabwe were cruising at 191 for two at one stage, looking likely to cause their first major upset against South Africa since the 1999 World Cup victory. ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: Complete Coverage
