Great news for all Zimbabwean cricket fans is that Zimbabwe Cricket has appointed Essex all rounder and former Zimbabwe cricket player Grant Flower as batting coach to become effective this October.

It is understood that Grant will be working with new head coach Alan Butcher, bowling Coach and former Zimbabean team mate Heath Streak and local franchise coach Steven Mangongo

Grant Flower, brother of current English coach Andrew Flower, left the Zimbabwe side in 2004 with a group of players termed the “rebels” following disagreements with Zimbabwe Cricket management over how the sport was being administered in the country. Since then he has been playing very successfully English county side Essex.

It is hoped that Zimbabwe will in the next few years be invited to return to playing test cricket after they withdrew in 2006 and it is because of this that Zim Cricket has embarked on an aggressive program to strengthen its technical support staff. This program is in line with recommendations from the International Cricket Council to develop local domestic structures as well as strengthen technical support structures within the organization.

Grant Flower’s Test Playing Career Highlights

Educated at St George’s College in Harare, Grant Flower played in Zimbabwe’s Inaugural Test match against India. He opened the batting and went on to score 82, falling short of a century on Test debut. His first test century was also a double hundred, scoring 201 not out against Pakistan when they toured Zimbabwe in 1995. His innings would help Zimbabwe to win their first ever Test match as they won by a convincing Innings and 64 Runs.

Grant became the first Zimbabwean to score a century in both innings of a Test match in 1997 against New Zealand where he scored 104 and 151 in Harare.

Grant Flower’s ODI Career Highlights

A little known fact is that other than Heath Streak Grant Flower has taken more ODI wickets than any other Zimbabwean bowler. In total he scored 6 ODI tons and 9 times he was either unbeaten or dismissed in the 90’s. One of his most memorable centuries would come in the final of a one-day triangular tournament in Bangladesh. Playing against Kenya he smashed an 82 ball century and finished with 140, just 2 short of David Houghton’s national record.

Zimbabwe Cricket Books

Amazon, have a bunch of Zim related cricket books, including “A History of the Rhodesia and Zimbabwe National Sides” by Jonty Winch who traces the history of cricket in this country (Zimbabwe) from the first recorded game played in 1890, through two World Wars and a guerilla war, to the comparative peace of post-independence and eventual world recognition in the 1980s when Zimbabwe was able to send a side to England to take part in the I.C.C. Trophy competition which it won.

There is also the Autobiography of another great Zimbabwean cricket coach Duncan Fletcher “Behind the Shades”

USA: Amazon.com
Zimbabwe Cricket Books on Amazon.com

At the moment Amazon UK don’t have as wide selection as the US site, but I have ordered books from the US and had them delivered to the UK with no problems.

UK: Amazon.co.uk
Zimbabwe Cricket on Amazon.co.uk

This video by David Scobie of his hit-single, “Gypsey Girl” from way back in 1980 brings back so many good memories, including that of watching Sounds on Saturday on ZBC.

This original video of the song, shows a very young David, aged just fifteen wondering around Harare. The single was released in October 1980 and it went to No.1 in Zimbabwe that November, staying there for the next four months. It was then released in South Africa in April 1981 and it bounced up and down the Springbok charts for nineteen weeks. Gypsey Girl eventually went on to go Gold in both countries and David became an over-night celebrity.

Like many Zimbabweans, Tendai Mtawarira is living and working far from home. Unlike most of us, Tendai plays for the Springboks. He is far from the first Zimbabwean to play for the South African rugby side (Take a look at my post on Zimbabwean Springboks) and I am sure he won’t be the last.

I cannot speak for him, but if he is anything like most Zimbabweans I meet, he would much rather be living and working in Zimbabwe. But until things get better, many of us will continue to live in a foreign country, giving them the benefit of our skills and depriving Zimbabwe them.

Last week, I noticed with interest that the South African Sports Ministry has accused the South African Rugby Union (SARU) of poor administration regarding their handling of Tendai Mtawarira’s eligibility for playing for the Springboks.

Apparently “The Beast” as he has been nicknamed was in danger of missing the year-end tour if the Sports Ministry weren’t satisfied with the reasons that a foreign national had been selected for the Springboks. Tendai Mtawarira debuted for the Boks in 2008 after completing his three-year residency and has played 19 Tests and has already toured with the Springboks to the UK last year, as well as Australasia this year and in 2008 and so it is strange that they are bringing up the issue now.

SARU apparently wants to speed up the process of getting Mtawarira’s South African citizenship, by asking a government minister to use his influence.

‘This request to have the Minister use his position to have the process of securing permanent residence and subsequently, citizenship expedited ahead of the year end tour in Europe, has exposed our sport administrators’ clear disrespect or lack of understanding of our laws,’ the ministry said in a statement.

‘Talented as he is, Tendai, like all foreign nationals plying their trade in South Africa, is bound by the laws of this country. The migration laws of our country are clear on issues relating to permanent residence and citizenship. We expect our sport administrators to understand and respect legislation that regulate their business. None of the athletes, sport codes, or federations can be bigger than the country.’

The Sports Ministry also questioned whether Mtawarira is that much better than other looseheads in the country to gain the special treatment that allowed him to tour.

‘While Tendai is a live wire on the field of play, the question is whether it is, in the first place, justifiable to say he has scarce skills – the rationale that would have enabled him to obtain the current work permit. If we go the route our rugby administrators are requesting us to take, and facilitate the fast-tracking of Tendai’s citizenship, what would this say to all rugby players in our country? We cannot as a government department responsible for sport and recreation in this country, afford to insult our players like this,’ added the statement.

‘The principle here is clear: Only citizens of our country can play for our National team, irrespective of the sport code. Therefore, no foreign national can play for any of our national teams, no matter how outstanding they may be. If any player in any code is to become a South African citizen, this has to be done within the legal framework of our country.

‘Federations, provinces and clubs, are more than welcome to approach us for advice on similar issues, instead of trying to slip a player through the legal framework.’

SARU responded by saying they would not comment on the Sport Ministry’s statements.

The Beast

If you are wondering why Tendai is known as The Beast: It had something to do with him being “a bit of a bully” in his primary school days in Harare, Mtawarira has stated. It was also back then, when his huge frame was knocking down smaller contemporaries in a football match, that a local rugby coach thought he might be better suited to the rough and tumble of the 15-man game. It has only been in the past two years, though, that Mtawarira has made a name for himself as a beast of a prop.

AWARD-WINNING Zimbabwean singer, David Scobie, has unveiled his long-awaited website, http://davidscobie.org/

He made the announcement via his Facebook profile recently. “The new website is finished and we hope to get some interest in the old music again,” says David. The multi-media website features David’s profile, discography, photos and singles released, among other great features.

Visitors to the site can preview and purchase his best selling 1981 album, “Cleaning Up!” for the first time in 28 years which features hit songs like Gypsey Girl, Taking The Easy Way Home, Maybe Life Don’t Care and On The Phone. The CD is also available for download. Other albums are available to preview and download. These include: Reborn (1983), Photograph (1984) and David Scobie Special Edition (1989). These albums will be re-released on CD and downloads by the end of 2009.

Brogue CDs are also available for purchase and download on the site. Brogue is David’s new project. He teamed up with Zimbabwean singer, Brigitte Rodrigues to form the duo producing Scottish/Celtic music. They have released three albums to date: Rhythm Of The Celts (2007) (which has already gained silver disc status in Scotland and is very close to gold) Girls And Strong Whisky (2008) and Popscots which has just been released (2009).

Visitors can register for a newsletter to keep up-to-date with news.Visitors to the site are struck by its ease of use, especially as it includes all content areas that are integral to David’s brand. It has been designed to be the premiere destination for all his fans.It is fresh, interactive, and of high quality competing with all other big artist websites. David aims to reach his growing fans through the site and other multimedia outlets available now. The highly interactive site has already garnered tremendous interest and responses from David’s fans. The Guestbook, especially, has already attracted a lot of attention.

Born in Dundee, Scotland, David was exposed to traditional Scottish folk music from the age of six. His parents took him to his first live concert held in Dundee where popular folk Duo “The Corries” blew David away. In 1973 the Scobie family moved to Harare Zimbabwe. From the age of ten, under the instruction of a close musical family friend, David began learning rudimentary chords on a guitar his parents had bought him. In 1980 David, aged fifteen had a hit-single in Southern Africa called “Gypsey Girl”. The single was released in October 1980 and it went to No.1 in Zimbabwe that November, staying there for the next four months. It was then released in South Africa in April 1981 and it bounced up and down the Springbok charts for nineteen weeks.

The single went Gold in both countries and David became an over-night celebrity. His next single “Taking The Easy Way Home” was recorded in April 1981 and by that June it had reached the Top Ten in both territories again. He went on to release four albums.

From 1983 to 2004 he endured a fruitful career in advertising jingles, producing and engineering. Over the years David repeatedly earned Zimbabwe Advertising Awards for his efforts. In 1998, he staged two musicals and two comedy theatre productions to full houses around the country.

David has teamed up with Brigitte Rodrigues producing Celtic music and call themselves Brogue and they are now based near Edinburgh in Scotland. http://www.broguemusic.com

Visit David’s website at: http://davidscobie.org/

Zimbabwe’s Hamilton Masakadza is in excellent form and twice scored more than 150 in the recent one-day series against Kenya, which is a record.

Whilst it can be argued that Kenya are not the best team in the world, it is still an impressive performance as Hamilton Masakadza made 156 against Kenya in the first match of the recent series in Harare, and 178 not out in the fifth, also in Harare.

This is the first time a batsman has made 150 or more twice in the same one-day series. There have been instances where other batsmen have come close, with Sri Lanka’s Sanath Jayasuriya passing 150 twice in successive innings three days apart, but they weren’t in the same series: on July 1, 2006, he made 152 against England at Headingley, and three days later he smashed 157 against the Netherlands in Amstelveen.

Hamilton is in good company as only Sachin Tendulkar from India and Chris Gayle, Brian Lara and Viv Richards from the West Indies have reached 150 three times in ODIs, with Jayasuriya the only person to have done it four times.

The North Bradley Baptist Church in Wiltshire will host an evening with former Zimbabwean cricket star Henry Olonga as part of a free entry, fundraising night in aid of Cancer Research.

Pastor Ben Midgley said that “It’s about building a bridge between ourselves and the local community.” and that “Outreach events like this are essential. You can’t expect people to come to the church if we can’t make the effort to introduce them to what we have to offer.”

All are welcome to enjoy an evening of cricket chat and Henry will speak about life now in the UK, as well as share his own personal passion for singing.

Where: North Bradley Baptist Church, Wiltshire
When: 7.30 pm, Friday 30th Oct 2009

Henry’s Faith:
Henry became a Christian at a youth camp at the age of 16. Some friends who were Christians invited him along to a youth camp. He heard messages each night and on one of the final evenings a man got up and preached the message of the gospel. It was to this message that he responded and gave his life to God.

For more information: Henry Olonga comes to North Bradley

Despite being a small country, Zimbabwe has produced an incredible number of some of the finest athletes and sports stars in the world. But because they come from Zimbabwe, many of them have not received as much recognition as they should. So here is my list some of the best sports personalities that Zimbabwe and Rhodesia has produced over the years:

Cricket

• Andrew Flower - Current England National Coach,He played 63 Test matches for Zimbabwe, scoring 4,794 runs at an average of 51.54 and taking 151 catches and 9 stumpings, and 213 one-day internationals, scoring 6,786 runs at an average of 35.34 and taking 141 catches and 32 stumpings. He holds the Zimbabwean records for the most Test career runs, the highest Test batting average, and most ODI career runs. He is the only Zimbabwean in the ICC’s Top 100 All-time Test Batting rankings at Number 24, putting him in the company of Brian Lara (ranked 19), Sachin Tendulkar (20), Steve Waugh (23) and Rahul Dravid (25 in September 2006).
• Duncan Andrew Gwynne Fletcher OBE – former captain of the Zimbabwean cricket team and former coach of the English cricket team and is largely credited with rejuvenating the fortunes of the then flagging English team, with the team rising from bottom of the Test rankings to second under his tenure as coach.
• Graeme Ashley Hick MBE – Born in Salisbury, Rhodesia (now Harare, Zimbabwe), he played 65 Test matches and 120 One Day Internationals for England. He scored more than 40,000 first-class runs and he is one of only three players to have passed 20,000 runs in List A cricket (Graham Gooch and Sachin Tendulkar are the others).
• Heath Hilton Streak – Born in Bulawayo, is the only Zimbabwean bowler to have taken over 100 Test wickets and one of only 2 Zimbabwean bowlers to have taken over 100 ODI wickets (the other being Grant Flower). There is little doubt that he is the best bowler to have played for Zimbabwe
• Henry Khaaba Olonga – holds the record for the best bowling in a one-day international by a Zimbabwean, with figures of 6/19 against England at Cape Town in 2000.
• Murray William Goodwin - Born in Salisbury (Harare), played 19 Tests and 71 One Day Internationals for Zimbabwe. He holds the Sussex record for the highest individual innings with 344* against Somerset in 2009, beating his own record of 335* set in 2003

Diving

• Evan Stewart – two medals at the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Canada, Gold Medal in the 1m Springboard at the 1994 World Championships in Rome.  He is also the son of former field hockey player Anthea Stewart, who won the gold medal in the women’s competition at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, Soviet Union.

Football / Soccer

• Benjani Mwaruwari -  Zimbabwean footballer who used to play for Portsmouth and who currently plays for Manchester City as a striker. He was born on the 13 August 1978 in Zimbabwe and is the current Zimbabwe national team captain.
• Bruce Grobbelaar – Was actually born in Durban, South Africa but played as goalkeeper for Zimbabwe and also most notably Liverpool F.C. during their dominant period in the 1980s.
• Peter Ndlovu – born on February 25, 1973 in Bulawayo played for Coventry City, Birmingham City, Sheffield United as well as for Zimbabwe.

Golf

• Anthony Alastair Johnstone – Born in Bulawayo, he won six times on the European Tour and finished a career best seventh on the European Tour Order of Merit in 1992. His most prestigious win came at the 1992 British PGA Championship.
• Denis Leslie Watson – Born in Salisbury (Harare) in 1955, finished second in the 1985 U.S. Open, missing out on forcing a playoff by one shot, having incurred a two-stroke penalty earlier in the tournament.
• Mark William McNulty - Born in Bindura and was one of the leading players on the European Tour from the mid 1980s to the mid 1990s, and cracked the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings for 83 weeks from 1987 to 1992, finished 2nd in the 1990 Open Championship.
• Nicholas Raymond Leige Price -  Professional golfer from Zimbabwe, 3 times a Major winner and an inductee in the World Golf Hall of Fame. In the mid-1990s, Price reached number one in the Official World Golf Rankings. Born 28 January 1957 in South Africa, but emigrated to Zimbabwe

Hockey

• Zimbabwean Womens Hockey team – Gold Medal at the Moscow Olympics. Liz Chase provided the pass and Pat McKillop scored the goal to seal a 4-1 victory over Austria as Zimbabwe wrote themselves into the record books as the first winners of the women’s Olympic hockey gold medal.  Team members: Audrey Palmer, Linda Watson, Sue Hugget, Gill Cowley, Sonia Robertson, Sandy Chick, Pat McKillop, Brenda Phillips, Maureen George, Sarah English, Arlene Boxhall, Trish Davies, Chris Prinsloo, Helen Volk, Anthea Stewart, Ann Gran, Liz Chase.

Karate

• Samson Muripo – 2009 world Karate Champion

Motorsport

• James Albert Redman MBE – Six-time World Champion motorcycle road racer and six time Isle of Man TT winner. Awarded the MBE for his achievements, born August 11, 1931 in London, England – Emigrated to Zimbabwe (Rhodesia)
• John Maxwell Lineham Love – He participated in 10 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on December 29, 1962. He achieved 1 podium, and scored a total of 6 championship points. Born in Bulawayo, December 7, 1924 – died April 25, 2005
• Sam Tingle – Racing driver who participated in 5 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, his fist on December 28, 1963. Born in Manchester on August 24, 1921, Emigrated to Zimbabwe (Rhodesia), died December 19, 2008

Rugby

• Adrian Garvey “Turbo Prop” – Played 28 tests for the Springboks during the 1990’s all at Tight-head Prop, scoring 4 tries. He also played for Zimbabwe and won his first cap in the 1991 World Cup. Born 25 June 1968 in Bulawayo, he went to Plumtree School. First Test: 9 Nov 1996 against Argentina at Ferrocarril-Oeste Stadium, Buenos Aires, last Test: 10 Oct 1999 against Spain at Murrayfield, Edinburgh.
• Andy MacDonald (Andrew WilliamMacDonald) – Played 5 Tests for the Springboks during the 1960’s as a Tight-head Prop and played for Rhodesia. Went to Milton High School in Bulawayo. First Springbok Test: 19 Jun 1965 against Australia at Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney. Last Test: 18 Sep 1965 against New Zealand at Eden Park, Auckland
• Ben-Piet van Zyl – Born in Gweru (Gwelo) on 1st Aug 1935, died 10 Mar 1973 (Age 37), played 1 Test for the Springboks as a right winger scoring 2 tries in the 24-8 win over Ireland on the 13 May 1961 in Newlands, Cape Town
• Bobby Skinstad (Robert Brian  Skinstad) -  Born in Bulawayo, played for the Springboks, 42 times, scoring 55 points (11 tries). He also captained the Springboks and played as a flanker and Number eight. Born 3 July 1976 in Bulawayo, Rhodesia
• Brian Mujati -  South African rugby union player who is still playing and now has over 12 Springbok caps. Born in Bulawayo, went to Peterhouse school in Marondera. His first test was on the  7th  Jun 2008 against Wales at Free State Stadium,in Bloemfontein he plays as a prop.
• Chris Rogers – Played 4 tests as a hooker for the Springboks in the 1980’s. Born in Masvingo (Fort Victoria) on 10 Oct 1956, went to Milton High School, Bulawayo. First Test: 2 Jun 1984 against England at EPRFU Stadium (Boet Erasmus), Port Elizabeth. Last Test: 27 Oct 1984  against South America at Newlands, Cape Town
• David Pocock – Currently plays flank for the Australian Wallabies and currently has 6 test caps at the time of writing. Born on the 23rd April 1988 in Messina, South Africa, he emigrated to Zimbabwe. He made his Australian Debut as a substitute against the Barbarians on the 3rd December 2008.
• David Smith – Played 4 tests for the Springboks as a center all against the British Lions in 1980. Born on the 9th Nov 1957 in Bulawayo, he went to Hamilton High School in Zimbabwe (Rhodesia)
• Des van Jaarsveldt – He only played 1 test for the Springboks as a flanker, but was captain and he scored 1 try on the 30th Apr 1960  against Scotland at EPRFU Stadium (Boet Erasmus), Port Elizabeth. When he was made captain, the ‘Transvaler’, a newspaper, announced: “It is an evil day for South African rugby when the country has to seek its rugby captain from beyond its borders in a strange land and may be the reason why he never played again. “He also played for Zimbabwe (Rhodesia). Born on the 31st March 1929, he went to Plumtree School, just outside Bulawayo.
• Gary Teichmann -  Zimbabwean born South African rugby union player and was the captain of the South African national team, the Springboks, between 1995 and 1999. He played 42 Tests, scoring  6 tries at number eight (eighthman) . Born 9 January 1967 in Gwelo, Rhodesia/ Zimbabwe. First Test: 2 Sep 1995 against Wales at Ellispark, Johannesburg. Last Test: 10 Jul 1999 against New Zealand at Carisbrook, Dunedin
• Ian Robertson – Played 5 Tests for the Springboks as centre or fullback in the 1970’s. Date of birth: 28 Apr 1950 in Harare (Salisbury), Zimbabwe, he went to Prince Edward School. First Test: 23 Nov 1974  against France at Stadium de Toulouse, Toulouse. Last Test: 18 Sep 1976, played Full Back against New Zealand at Ellispark, Johannesburg
• Kennedy Tsimba – First capped for Zimbabwe against Ivory Coast in 1998, has played provincial and Currie Cup rugby in South Africa for the Vodacom Blue Bulls and the Free State where he broke the record for the most points scored in a season (228), a feat which earned him the Currie Cup Player of the Year award in 2002
• Leon Greeff – Born March 9, 1975, in Kadoma  – Has played 6 tests for Zimbabwe as a lock/loose forward has made a name for himself playing in the Premiership side, Worcester Warriors, and can also add value to the team.
• Ray Mordt – Born on the 15 Feb 1957  in South Africa, but emigrated to Zimbabwe and played for Rhodesia as well as 18 tests on the wing for the Springboks, scoring 12 tries. First Test: 26 Apr 1980 against South America at Wanderers, Johannesburg. Last Test: 27 Oct 1984 against South America at Newlands, Cape Town He went to Churchill High School in Harare.
• Ronnie Hill – Born on 20 Dec 1934in South Africa, but emigrated to Zimbabwe and went to Bulawayo Technical High School. Played for Rhodesia and Played 7 tests as a hooker for the Springboks in the 1960’s. First Test: 3 Dec 1960 against Wales at Millenium Stadium (Cardiff Arms Park), Cardiff. Last Test: 24 Aug 1963 against Australia at Ellispark, Johannesburg
• Ryk van Schoor – Born in South Africa, but emigrated to Zimbabwe (the Rhodesia) and played for Rhodesian and 12 tests for South Africa as a centre scoring 2 tries. First Test 13 Aug 1949 against New Zealand at Ellispark, Johannesburg. Last Test: 26 Sep 1953 against Australia at Crusaders (St George’s Park), Port Elizabeth
• Takudzwa Ngwenya – Plays for the USA (Eagles). He caused a sensation with the ‘Try of the Tournament’ with his run against South Africa’s Brian Habana in the 2007 Rugby World Cup.  He can run the 100m dash in 10.5, meaning that he is only slightly slower than Tonderai Chavhanga who played for the Springboks. Born July 22, 1985 and went to Vainona High School in Harare and now plays his club rugby for Biarritz in France.
• Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira – Zimbabwean-born South African rugby union player with over 16 Springbok caps (still playing) and who also plays for the Sharks in the Super 14 competition. Tendai Mtawarira plays as a prop and is fondly known by friends and fans as “The Beast”. Born 1 August 1985 in Harare, Zimbabwe, went to Peterhouse School in Marondera. First Test: 14 Jun 2008 against Wales at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria.
• Tonderai Chavhanga – Played 4 Tests for the Springboks on the right wing, scoring 6 tries. Born 24 December 1983 in Masvingo, Zimbabwe he went to Prince Edward School in Harare and can run the 100m in 10.27 seconds, a time he achieved when he was just 16. He is possibly is possibly the fastest rugby player in South African rugby history, according to Jake White, the former springbok coach. First Test: 11 Jun 2005 against Uruguay at Basil Kenyon Stadium, East London. Last Test: 14 Jun 2008 against Wales at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria.
• Tonderai Chiutare – (zim 21 2002, Allenton Rugby Club (New Zealand), mid-canterbury province 2003- current (New Zealand)
• Victor Olonga – former Zimbabwe rugby captain played professional rugby in England for Penzance & Newlyn

Swimming

• Kirsty Leigh Coventry – Zimbabwean swimmer with 2 Olympic gold medals, 4 Silvers and a Bronze from the Athens and Beijing Olympics, 7 World Championship gold medals, 5 silvers and a bronze, 1 Commonwealth games gold medal,  7 All Africa games gold medals and 3 silvers and is also a multi world record holder. Born September 16, 1983 in Harare, Zimbabwe

Tennis

• Cara Black – Professional Tennis player ranked world number 1 in doubles, born in Salisbury (Harare) Zimbabwe in 1979. Winner of five Grand Slam women’s doubles titles in her career: Wimbledon 2004, 2005, and 2007, Australian Open 2007 and US Open 2008. She has won 3 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles in her career, 2 of them partnering with her brother Wayne: the 2002 French Open & the 2004 Wimbledon Championships (they reached the final at the 2004 French Open and they reached the semifinals at the 2003 French Open & 2003 U.S. Open),and the most recent one with Leander Paes of India : 2008 U.S. Open. She also reached the 2000 U.S. Open doubles final with Elena Likhovtseva.
• Byron Black -  Became world no. 1 in doubles in February 1994 and also won the 1994 French Open partnering Jonathan Stark. Black was a doubles finalist in three other majors, the 1994 and 2001 Australian Opens and 1996 Wimbledon.
• Kevin Ullyett – Born in Salisbury (Harare) in 1972,  he has won 24 doubles titles, including the 2001 US Open and the 2005 Australian Open, both with Wayne Black.
• Wayne Black – Won two men’s doubles Grand Slam titles (2001 U.S. Open and 2005 Australian Open) with Kevin Ullyett and two Grand Slam mixed doubles titles (2002 French Open and 2004 Wimbledon) with sister Cara. As a junior Wayne played league tennis for Highlands Sports Club in Harare.

Help me add to this list

I am sure I have missed out a whole bunch of people that should be on this page, please comment below on anyone that you can think of and I will add them.

With England’s recently victory over Australia and thus the taking back of the Ashes, I have decided to look at the coach behind their success and one of Zimbabwe’s best and most loved cricketers.

Andrew Flower
Andrew or “Andy” Flower was actually born in Cape Town, South Africa in 1968, but his family returned to their native Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia) when he was 10 years old. It was obvious to his father Bill even at such a young age that he would excel at sports and he spent a lot of time coaching and playing with Andy in their garden, which even to this day Andy attributes the time his father spent with him as largely responsible for his excellent technique. With this solid cricketing background, it wasn’t long before he was playing cricket for his school and then for his local sports club, Old Georgians, at the age of 15.

Andy’s first-class debut was at the age of 18, playing for the ZCU (Zimbabwe Cricket Union) President’s XI against a very strong Young West Indian touring team. It was to be a rather quiet debut but showing great determination for a slow 13, as he resisted traditional West Indian pace from the likes of Eldine Baptiste.

His first century in international one-day cricket came on his official debut against Sri Lanka in the first World Cup match of 1992, a feat which has only been repeated by three other players in history. On this day he opened and managed to bat right through the innings for a magnificent unbeaten 115 and although earning him the Man of the Match award, it sadly did not bring victory for his Zimbabwean team.

People were now taking notice and from the beginning of 2000 for around two years he went through a purple patch and was to become the best player in Zimbabwe’s history and for a time held the rankings as the best batsman in the world and to this day his batting record as a wicketkeeper is unmatched.

Andy announced his retirement from international cricket where he started it, at the World Cup. It was during the 2003 World Cup in a game held in Zimbabwe, he along with a team mate Henry Olonga protested against what they called the “death of democracy” in Zimbabwe which eventually led to both players having to flee Zimbabwe under the cover of darkness for fear of retribution.

Andy Flower then spent a few seasons playing for the English county of Essex with considerable success taking his team to the South Group Twenty20 Semi-finals and Winners Div 1 C&G Trophy and was named as Player of the season. At the age of 38 and the start of the 2007 season he was offered the position as England’s assistant coach which he took a position.

In January 2009 came the removal of Peter Moores as England’s coach he was thrust in charge of the national team. When England crumbled for 51 in Jamaica, Flower’s calm but authoritative response impressed many and his standing improved throughout the tour. He has confronted many challenges in his career, but coaching England will surely rival any of them.

Batting and fielding averages

Robert Moffat was born in Ormiston, Scotland, of pious but poor parents. The educational advantages afforded him were limited, so, at a young age, he became an apprentice to learn gardening. Upon the completion of this apprenticeship, he moved to England where he was won to Christ through the efforts of the Wesleyan Methodists. With an intense desire to serve the Lord burning within him, he attended a missionary conference being held in Manchester, and there he felt the divine call to carry the Gospel to the heathen.

He was later accepted by the London Missionary Society, and at the age of 21, he sailed for Cape Town, South Africa. The hardships and primitive conditions did not deter him as he pushed northward into the interior, where he won to Christ the most dangerous outlaw chief in that region.

Returning to Cape Town in 1819, he met his fiancée, arriving from England, and they were married. Together, they spent the next 51 years on the mission field, most of it in Kuruman experiencing the many hardships and sorrows of that primitive area. Three of their children died in infancy and youth. However, five of the remaining ones remained in Africa as missionaries. Mary, the oldest daughter, became the wife of David Livingstone.

The work of Moffat was, as it were, the stepping stones which others used in spreading the Gospel throughout the Dark Continent. He opened many mission stations and served as the pioneer missionary in an area of hundreds of square miles. He translated the Bible into the language of the Bechwanas, first having reduced the language to written characters.

In 1870, after 54 years in Africa, he and his wife returned to England, where one year later she died. Moffat continued to promote foreign missions the rest of his life. He raised funds for a seminary that was built at the Kuruman Station, where native students were prepared for missionary work among their own people. At his death in 1883 the London newspaper said, “Perhaps no more genuine soul ever breathed. He addressed the cultured audiences within the majestic halls of Westminster Abbey with the same simple manner in which he led the worship in the huts of the savages.”!

Robert Moffat, a Scottish missionary and his wife Mary lived in Kuruman for many years and it was here that his daughter got married to David Livingston, the discoverer of  the Victoria Waterfalls.

Before this, the Kuruman Mission was established by the London Missionary Society (LMS) in 1816 at Maruping near Kuruman where a town of about 10 000 Batswana were resident. Robert Moffat arrived in Kuruman from Scotland in 1820, and soon organised permission from Chief Mothibi to relocate it to the present position at Seodin in the valley of the Kuruman River. From here he preached Christianity to the local people. Today the Moffat Mission Station is now a museum and open to visitors.

Moffat (1795-1887) laboured at the mission for 50 years, and his period is considered the “golden age” of missionary work amongst the Batswana. He was a man of considerable talents and oversaw the building of staff houses, a school house, store rooms, and the “cathedral of the Kalahari”, the great Moffat Church (1838) which can seat 800 people.

Not content with this he was as the same time working on what would be his greatest legacy: the Setswana Bible. He taught himself Setswana, developed the orthography and (with a broader team) translated the Bible. Once this was done, he then proceeded to print it on a hand press – being the first entire Bible printed in Africa.

The mission is also well-known as the first African home of Dr. David Livingstone. He arrived as an LMS missionary in 1841, and remained in contact with the mission due to his marriage to Moffat’s eldest daughter Mary jr. The image of the tree are what remains of the famous wild almond tree under which David Livingstone proposed to Mary Moffat and can still be seen today.

The mission also witnessed the first ordination of a Motswana, Rev. Maphakela Lekalake who served the church to the ripe age of 97.

Thompson Avenue
P O Box 34, Kuruman, 8460
Tel (053) 7121352/7122645
Tel/fax: (053) 7121352
email: moffat@spg.co.za

Visiting hours:
Monday-Saturday: 08:00 – 17:00
Sunday and Public holidays: 15:00 -17:00