Brandon Moyo
NATIONAL Premier League (NPL) T20 Blast winning coach with the new SOGO Rangers side, Ryan Maron believes that it is good for cricket in the country to have another club challenge traditional powerhouses that have dominated the local club cricket set-up.
Playing in their debut season, SOGO Rangers proved a class above all as they went on to win the NPL T20 Blast having only suffered one defeat in the nine matches that they played.
Maron, a former first-class cricketer in South Africa was pleased with the way that his charges dominated the country’s premier club cricket competition throughout its two-week duration. The new kids on the block beat Takashinga Patriots 1 by 35 runs in the final at Harare Sports Club on Saturday.
For the South African gaffer, the dominance displayed by Rangers is a positive for the growth and development of the game in the country. In the recently ended tournament, the eventual champions completed a hattrick of wins over Takashinga and he considers that a huge achievement.
“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. Takashinga is a strong, 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 told online publication SportsCast.
In the final against Takashinga, Rangers’ Mathew Campbell was named player of the match after a match winning 54 runs not out off 39 deliveries. Tournament leading run scorer, Jayden Schadendorf (398 runs at 56,86) was named master blaster (in the final), batter of the tournament and the most valuable player. Maron was named coach of the tournament.
Bowler and player of the tournament accolades were scooped by Wellington Masakadza (18 wickets in 10 innings at 13,5).
Maron was impressed with the way his young side fared.
“Obviously Jayden (Schadendorf) was a big performer with the bat but also the Welch brothers (Nicholas and Matthew), Jonno Campbell, Ryan Burl, Frosty (Alistair Frost). We had a lot of players who 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 (Benjamin) Banks and (Matthew) Schonken, these types of bowlers coming through, gained experience in this tournament which will put them in good stead going forward,” said Maron.
Maron added that the secret to their success is not just short term.
“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. The 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?” he said.
Maron has previously worked as a fielding coach for the West Indies and Afghanistan national teams. He was brought in as Rangers head coach for the NPL T20 Blast.