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Vermeulen banned

LONDON - Former Zimbabwean test cricketer Mark Vermeulen has been banned from cricket in England after allegedly throwing a ball at a fan in a recent Lancashire club match.
Footage taken by the BBC shows Vermeulen being restrained after he lost his temper with a fan who had heckled him during a cricket match. It was believed that he had returned to Zimbabwe after the incident however this is not the case and he now faces a disciplinary hearing in England on his actions.
Vermeulen’s lawyer told the BBC “Mark is devastated to find himself in this position and understands that his behaviour at the match in question was far from acceptable. Naturally he wishes to offer his heartfelt apologies not just to those who witnessed the incident, but to the league and his team-mates.”
Vermeulen is no stranger to drama on the field, he was banned from schools cricket in Zimbabwe in 1996 after knocking out his stumps when he disagreed with an “out” decision given by the umpire. – KJW


Zambia .......... (3) 14 Zimbabwe......... (7) 10

ZIMBABWE’S flirtation the Africa Cup Rugby tournament ended in disappointment in Lusaka on Saturday when the Sables surrendered a first to fall to a shock defeat by Zambia.
The Sables, who are still to win the Africa Cup, bowed out of this year’s competition without a win after playing a 22-22 draw against surprise packages Madagascar at Harstfield ground in Bulawayo last month.
Zimbabwe’s defeat in Lusaka also meant the Sables finished bottom of the three-team group while Madagascar, who beat the Zambians in Antananarivo, emerged the winners and will now proceed to the second round of the competition.
According to reports from Lusaka, Zambia took an early lead when Noble Chisanga scored a drop kick five minutes into the game taking a 3-0 lead.
Zimbabwe replied with a penalty try after Zambia skipper Musonda Kaminsa fouled Zimbabwe wing Lloyd Marwati and Happison Nyatanga made no mistake from the resultant kick.
That conversion thrust the Sables into a 7-3, which they hung onto until the break.
But after both sides missed valuable kicks in the opening half in which Zambia’s Kaminsa and Zimbabwe’s Paul Staak were the main culprits, the hosts brought the scoreline to 7-6 through a Chisanga penalty.
Staak then made it 10-6 with another penalty conversion but Zambia were kept in the picture by Kaminsa’s drop-kick, which made it 10-9.
Staak’s penalty was to be the last time that Zimbabwe registered points on the scoreboard as the hosts seized the initiative.
It was Kaminsa who again returned to haunt the Sables when he killed off the match after planting Zambia’s only try in the dying stages of the game.
Kaminsa benefited from Tom Chalobi’s pass after the latter had produced a good run deep into the Sables territory.
Although Kaminsa failed to convert, his try assured the Zambians of a consolation victory, which also helped them to avoid the Group’s wooden spoon.
Zambia technical advisor, South African Dumisani Mhani told the media in Zambia that although they had won the game, the Sables had given his charges a tough time all afternoon.
Mhani said he would not read much into the group standings as his goal was to build a strong side that would blend youth and experience.
Sables mentor Chris Lampard could not be reached for comment yesterday as he was understood to be still on his way from Lusaka after leaving the Zambian capital late in the day.
Zimbabwe’s failure to register a win in this year’s competition highlights the Sables’ free fall as the senior team now resemble a caricature of the senior side that lost to old enemies Namibia in the 2004 final.
Meanwhile, Zambia and Zimbabwe’s Under-21 sides fought a low-scoring 3-3 battle that preceded their seniors’ match.


Warriors booted out of Cosafa Castle Cup

HARARE - Zimbabwe's Warriors were booted out of the Cosafa Castle Cup after narrowly losing 2-1 to Angola in a closely fought semi-final tie at the National Sports Stadium in Harare at the weekend.
Zimbabwe used a largely developmental side but they found the going tough against the more experienced Angolans. The Angolans will now travel to Lusaka for the final against Zambia.
The Warriors dominated play but were let down by lack of penetration inside the Angola box. The visitors were the first to settle down and scored in the first half through midfielder, Gazeta who took advantage of some terrible defending by Zimbabwe to slot home past goalkeeper Tafadzwa Dube.
There was nothing he could have done as he was left all alone to face the Angolan man.
But Zimbabwe were not intimidated and came back a rejuvinated side in the second half. They grabbed the equaliser through hard working midfielder, Francis Chandida.
The talented midfielder responded faster than everyone in the box to level the scores.
But Zimbabwe were to lose towards the end of the match when goalkeeper Dube made a blunder which resulted in Angola's goal.
The Masvingo United goalminder unnecessarily rushed out of his goal area and striker Lebo was on hand to place a header in an empty net. - ZimOnline


Greg Lamb man of the match

LONDON - Greg Lamb, 26-year-old Zimbabwean all-rounder, emerged as an unlikely man-of-the-match as Hampshire kept alive their promotion hopes in the Pro40 League with a dramatic five-run win over Yorkshire at Headingley.
Recalled by Hampshire and playing for a new contract, Harare-born Lamb top-scored with 64 in Hampshire’s 220-9.
Then, the sixth bowler used with Shane Warne ruled out by injury, the off-spinner took two wickets in a tense last over to finish with 4-38 as Yorkshire collapsed from 201-5 to 215 all out.
Hampshire will now host Glamorgan on Sunday in English cricket's first-ever play-off to decide who joins already promoted Gloucestershire and Worcestershire in Division 1 next season.
Ex-Zimbabwe star Andy Flower scored 81 as Essex, the new Division 1 champions, recovered from 12-3 to total 201-8 at Durham. But Essex lost by six wickets, with Durham relegated along with Middlesex. – John Hughes


Adebayor strike sinks Unite

LONDON - An 85th-minute goal by Emmanuel Adebayor earned Arsenal their first Premier League win of the season as Manchester United's 100 per cent record was ended by a 1-0 home defeat watched by a crowd of 75,59. Didier Drogba scored the only goal as Chelsea, the champions, won 1-0 at home to Liverpool, but Michael Ballack, Chelsea's new German midfield ace, faces a three-match ban after being red-carded for the first time in his career.
Congo star Lomana LuaLua clinched table-topping Portsmouth's 1-0 win at Charlton and new Nigerian signing Obafemi Martins scored his first Newcastle goal in a 2-0 scoreline at West Ham. South Africa's Benni McCarthy was among the Blackburn scorers in a 4-2 home win over Manchester City, while Austria midfielder Paul Scharner twice equalised for Wigan in a 2-2 draw at high-flying Everton.
In Scotland, leaders Celtic laboured to a 1-0 home win over Dunfermline. But Rangers slipped up 2-1 at Hibernian where Chris Killen struck twice before being sent off just before the final whistle.

* This weekend, newly-promoted Reading, who lie in sixth place, host Manchester United on Sunday. The day before, Celtic are at home to Rangers in the big Glasgow derby. – John Hughes


SA coach wants limit on foreign players

JOHANNESBURG - Carlos Alberto Parreira, the recently appointed South African national soccer team coach, wants the number of foreign players in that country’s top flight league reduced to three per club.
Current rules allow five foreign players to be fielded at the same time. If Parreira’s recommendation is taken on board by the South African Football Association (SAFA) it will spell doom for the multitude of Zimbabwean players who ply their trade in that country.
At least 20 top Zimbabwe players, including eight national team members, have established themselves in the PSL and some have over the years won numerous accolades, including PSL player of the year and top goal scorer of the year awards. Countless more play in lower divisions.
South Africa are hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup and Parreira wants the PSL to be flooded with local talent, a strategy he hopes will help him by having a big player base to choose from. Worringly that country’s football players union has thrown its weight behind Parreira’s efforts to reduce the number of foreign players in the Premier Soccer League.
The problem with this is that many Zimbabwean players will be affected if this quota system is introduced. Football authorities are expected to call for an indaba to discuss this controversial topic. - Tichaona Sibanda, SW Radio Africa


Mutasa an ‘asset’ in Qatar

JOHANNESBURG – Zimbabwe’s international under-20 acrobatic goalkeeper, Kundai “Chief” Mutasa (19), who signed a three year contract at A1 Rayyan Football Club in Qatar last month, has been described by the club technical department as an “essential assert”.
Qatar officials are even contemplating offering the former CAPS United junior and Eastern Highlands Academy player Qatar citizenship with a view to having him play for their national soccer squad.
Mutasa gets a monthly salary of US$12 000, US$3000 winning bonuses, US$500 allowances, US$150 medical, accommodation and own transport.
Before being snatched by A1 Rayyan FC in Qatar, Mutasa briefly trained with Wits University Football Club in Johannesburg but the club asked for “too much papers”, a move that forced Mutasa to leave the club as he felt the South African soccer side was xenophobic.
Mutasa, who in the off-season was included in the squad that toured Europe and played in the East Europe Tournament before rubbing shoulders with big names in the six tournament tournament that featured Real Madrid (with David Beckham), Barcelona, Valencia, Sagan from Japan, Perak from Indonesia and Pohang Steelers from South Korea. -CAJ News