Izikhathi ezinhle kakhulu ‘zeNkosi uDavide’ zazihlala enkolweni

NJENGOBA egubha iminyaka engu-20 ebhekwe ngabomvu, umhlaziyi wekhilikithi oyimpumputhe owaziwayo emhlabeni, uDean du Plessis, usengene wajula enqolobaneni ehlonipha indoda ethathwa njengomdlali wekhilikithi omkhulu kunabo bonke eZimbabwe. 

 U-Du Plessis ongowokuzalwa e-Harare, nodalule ukungezwani “okukhathazayo” eqenjini elihamba phambili lezindaba zamazwe ngamazwe ngesonto eledlule, ukhulume kafushane kuleyo nhlolokhono ngokumhlonipha kwakhe owayengukaputeni waseZimbabwe no-batting kingpin, amazi eduze kusukela ezinsukwini zakhe. isikole saseNingizimu Afrika sabangaboni ngeminyaka yama-90s.

Umsakazi oneminyaka engu-44 ubudala kanye ne-blogger uye wenza igxathu elingaphezulu ekukhumbuleni izikhathi u-Houghton adala okuvela kuzo okuhlala njalo, futhi wamenza omunye wabadlali bezemidlalo abahamba phambili kuleli zwe emlandweni. UDu Plessis uthi wabelana ngenhlonipho yakhe ngoHoughton noyise ongasekho uChris, owashona ngo-2020 futhi waba nomthelela emsebenzini wakhe wobuntatheli bekhilikithi. 

“Ubeyithanda kakhulu ikhilikithi yakhe, wangifundisa okuningi ngomdlalo,” u-du Plessis etshela i-NewsHawks kuleli sonto. “Ubejwayele ukukhumbula abadlali bekhilikithi abathandayo: uGraham Pollock, uMike Procter, uBarry Richards, u-Eddie Barlow – bonke abadlali bekhilikithi ayejwayele ukubancoma esemncane.

Futhi wayefana nami, wayenombono wokuthi uDave Houghton ungumshayi omkhulu waseZimbabwe. Ngokombono wezibalo, yebo, u-Andy Flower ubehamba phambili, siyakuqonda lokho. Kodwa uDave Houghton wayemkhulu eZimbabwe, futhi anginendaba ukuthi noma ubani uzama ukungitshelani. Ubehamba phambili eZimbabwe futhi ubaba wayevumelana nami kulokho.”

 Iningi labalandeli bezemidlalo abasebasha liwababaza amaqhawe abo – ukuhlonishwa okuhlala kuze kube abantu abadala – ekuqaleni ngenxa yomdlalo othile, noma uchungechunge kulokhu. KuDean du Plessis osemusha, kwaba lapho eqeda isikole futhi wabuyela ekhaya eZimbabwe unomphela.

Kwakungunyaka ka-1994, lapho uGlorious Houghton athatha izinsuku ezimbili ezinhle ku-Test endaweni azalelwa kuyo koBulawayo ukwakha i-innings eyamenza waba umshayi osezingeni lomhlaba, amaphuzu angu-266 okusasele kuphakeme kunawo wonke owake watholwa ngumuntu waseZimbabwe.

Kodwa lokho ku-innings okuhle bekungeyena kuphela ubuhlakani bukaHoughton obegqama kuchungechunge lwama-Test amathathu nama-ODI amathathu. “Leyo bekuyi-series enhle ye-Zimbabwe ngokwembono esayithola ngayo i-Heath Streak, yilapho-ke sabona khona ukuthi lo mfana ongakwazi ukuphosa, futhi u-Dave Houghton ube ne-series emangalisayo,” kusho u-du Plessis.

“Kodwa kwaba uchungechunge olubi ngendlela yokuthi bekunemvula engaka. Ngakho-ke u-Dave Houghton ube nama-innings amathathu kuphela emidlalweni emithathu ye-Test ngoba njalo uma kune-innings yesibili, imvula ibifika ingenelele. Kodwa kuleyo midlalo emithathu yamaTest uthole u-54, 266, kanye nangu-142. Ngakho-ke abantu abaningi bakhuluma ngezikhathi zegolide u-Andy Flower aba nazo e-India, ngo-2000, lapho athola khona ama-run angu-540. Kodwa lokho bekungama-innings amane emidlalweni emibili yama-Test. Ngiyamangala ukuthi uDave ubezothola ama-run amangaki kuma-innings ayisithupha kuleyo midlalo emithathu yamaTest.”

Eminyakeni emithathu ngaphambili, u-Houghton wenze into encomekayo ku-du Plessis ngokushaya kwakhe ngokungesabi ngesikhathi somdlalo wokuhlomula ngo-1993 kowayengukapteni waseNingizimu Afrika u-Kepler Wessels e-Port Elizabeth. Lo mlandeli osemncane okhonze kakhulu waseZimbabwe ukulandele kahle okwenziwa esikoleni ahlala kuso eWorcester, eduze naseKapa. 

“U-Kepler ukhethe iqembu eliqinile ukuthi lizodlala neqembu laseNingizimu Afrika eliqinile, futhi, uyazi, iNingizimu Afrika ibisemandleni abo,” kukhumbula u-du Plessis.

“Futhi akwenza uKepler ukuthi uphinde wakhetha u-Andy Flower noDave Houghton. Ngikhumbula ukuthi kwakulodaba oluhle, oluhle olwabhalwa yintatheli yaseNingizimu Afrika mayelana nokuthi kumnandi kanjani ukubona abantu baseZimbabwe ababili befakwe ku-World XI. Ngeshwa, bagxile kakhulu ku-Andy Flower kunokuba bagxile ku-Davie. Bekukuhle kakhulu ukuthi u-Andy akenzanga lutho, lokho bekungekuhle (…uyahleka).

Kodwa u-Dave, waphuma lapho ebhekene nalokhu kuphosa kwe-South Africa: u-Allan Donald, u-Brett Schultz, u-Craig Matthews, kanye no-Off-spinner u-Pat Symcox. Bekukhona omunye umthungi engimkhumbulayo…uFanie de Villiers, yebo. U-Houghton wenze u-114 emabholeni angu-99 no-four abangu-12 kanye no-six abahlanu okwakungazwakali ngalezo zinsuku futhi ikakhulukazi lapho bebhekene nokuphosa.

Ukushanela u-Fanie de Villiers, owashesha ngokwanele, ake ngikutshele, futhi edlala amashots ashanela sengathi udlala ama-spinner! Uyazi, u-Fanie ubephonsa ngaphandle kwe-off-stump bese u-Davie edlala ishodi eshanelayo kube sengathi ushaya i-off-spinner.

Ubemshaya ezinkundleni zethenisi e-St George’s Park, okwakuyingoma enkulu kakhulu. Futhi ngokusobala, wenza i-mincemeat ye-off-spinner, uPat Symcox. Wonke umuntu wayazi ukuthi u-Davie wayekwazi ukwenza lokho ngoba engumdlali osezingeni eliphezulu wokushwiba, kodwa bebengalindele ukuthi abhekane noFanie de Villiers noCraig Matthews ngendlela enze ngayo.”

UHoughton owazalelwa kwaBulawayo wadlalela iZimbabwe amaTest angu-22 kanye nama-ODI angu-66 eZimbabwe phakathi kuka-1983 no-1997. Lo mdlali oneminyaka engu-64 ubudala, owaba ngumqeqeshi weZimbabwe ngaphambi kokusebenza phesheya, usanda kubuyela ekhaya esuka e-UK ukuyothatha isikhundla esisha. njengomphathi wezwe wabaqeqeshi.