Mathews was my role model says Zimbabwe’s match winner Jongwe

Sri Lanka skipper Wanindu Hasaranga congratulates Player of the Match Luke Jongwe and his partner Clive Madande after the pair had carried Zimbabwe to 

victory in the second T20I

Dhananjaya de Silva

• DDS to replace KJP for today’s series decider

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

 Zimbabwe’s match-winner in the second T20I against Sri Lanka at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday, Luke Jongwe said that all-rounder Angelo Mathews was his role model when he was growing up as a kid.

“He used to be my wallpaper when I was a kid. He was still using Grey Nicholls at that time. I was still a youngster. On Facebook at one point he was my profile picture. There’s too much happening for me today. I’m just grateful to God,” said the 28-year-old all-rounder from Harare at the post-match press conference.

“Over the past few months I’ve been in situations where I could have won games for my country, and even for my franchise back home as well, and I couldn’t do it. I got close, but couldn’t cross the line. Doing it against Sri Lanka, considering Angelo was one of my role models growing up, is even better. That’s special.”

It was off the final over bowled by Mathews that Jongwe swung the game Zimbabwe’s way. With 20 required off the last six balls, Jongwe hit Mathews for 6 (off a no-ball), 4, 6 and 1 off the first four balls. With 2 required off the last two deliveries, Jongwe’s partner Clive Madande finished the match off in style by smiting the fifth ball for six for Zimbabwe to win the contest by four wickets and level the three-match series 1-all.

“I knew they needed one over from someone, because (Dushmantha) Chameera was done and (Dilshan) Madushanka was done. I told myself I wasn’t going to take a risk against them, and wait until the last over, and give myself the best chance,” said Jongwe.

“We were saying that if we’re going to win it, we’ll try and do it off the first three balls. Sometimes in cricket if you leave it to the last ball it might not happen. So, to give myself the best chance I targeted the first three balls of the over. It went our way today.”

“Twenty runs was a lot, to be honest. Sri Lanka had been 25 for 4, and we were looking to restrict them to 140. The wicket was quite different in the first six overs. When we bowled in the death – I bowled in the death as well – we talked afterwards and thought that something had changed in the wicket. The ball was starting to come on to the bat nicely. Credit to Angelo and (Charith) Asalanka for batting the way they did. We knew we had a chance. We knew we just needed to keep wickets intact and build partnerships to try and get our team over the line.” 

Jongwe said the victory meant a lot to the people back home in Zimbabwe after they had missed out on qualifying for the Cricket World Cup and the upcoming T20 World Cup.

“I feel this man of the match award should go to every teammate of mine. I think they’ve been through a lot these past few months when things didn’t go our way. This victory goes to the people back home for supporting us and sticking with us even though things were not going well.” 

Sri Lanka Captain Wanindu Hasaranga said that 20 runs was a lot especially on a ground like the R. Premadasa Stadium and they should have defended it.

“We made a lot of mistakes in all three departments. When you make such mistakes in T20 cricket it is difficult to win. It was a good wicket and we were about 15 runs short. We lost four early wickets but Angie and Charith got us to a decent score. We could have still won this contest with our bowling and fielding.”

For today’s series decider Sri Lanka are likely to replace out-of-form Kusal Perera with Dhananjaya de Silva in the number three slot. Perera was dismissed for 17 in the first T20I and for a golden duck in the second, getting out on both occasions to seamer Blessing Muzarabani.

A long standing issue for Sri Lanka is that their top four batters have failed to deliver getting out inside the first power play overs and thereby putting undue pressure on the middle order.