Midwest Rhinos intensify preps

Sport
by Our CorrespondentMidwest Rhinos recently qualified for their fifth domestic final in the three years since the inception of the franchise system in Zimbabwe but it marked another second-rate season without any silverware to show for their excellent performance in the domestic league.

The Kwekwe-based franchise boasts of five first team senior cricket players and expertise of some renowned world cricketers in their ranks. The arsenal that was at the disposal of Rhinos includes the current Zimbabwe captain Brendon Taylor, Graeme Creamer, Ed Rainsford, Gary Ballance and Ricky Wessels. More questions than answers continue to flood the minds of cricket lovers on why the team has not been successful. Five times playing second fiddle to other domestic franchises in the local game, Midwest Rhinos poised for a major comeback after an early kick start to their preparations for the 2012-2013 season.

In an interview with Standardsport, Midwest Rhinos chief executive officer Kenyon Ziehl  said after losing their head coach, Jason Gillespie, the club is set to launch a series of smart recruits which will seek to redress the bad spell the club has been going through.

“We are now in the process of looking at CVs for a prospective coach after losing Gillespie and two of our premier players at the end of January which had  an impact on our efforts to bag our first silverware.”

The franchise executive paid tribute to the Australian gaffer for doing a great job with the ball as they saw a marked improvement in the bowling department with the emergence of young fast bowlers.

“We had set some standards for him (Jason Gillespie) and as a renowned fast bowler, we expected him to produce some fast bowlers which the country is lacking and he managed to produce two youngsters Richard Muzhanje and Never Madziva,” he said.

After the departure of their mentor Rhinos engaged their long-time manager and assistant coach Clemence Mahacha who took charge of the team’s 103 run defeat at the hands of Mashonaland Eagles after an impressive performance by Elton Chigumbura.

Ziehl cited former Zimbabwean skipper Elton Chigumbura as one man who has routed the club on two occasions, first in the Pro40 final while playing for Southern Rocks and recently in the Pro50 Coca Cola final were he starred for Mashonaland Eagles.