Famous Zimbabwean sportsmen born in July
1. Paul Strang (Zimbabwe’s 1st Test match leg-spinner)
Born: July 28, 1970, Bulawayo
Major teams: Zimbabwe, Kent, Manicaland, Marylebone Cricket Club, Mashonaland, Mashonaland Country Districts, Nottinghamshire, Zimbabwe Cricket Academy
Batting style: Right-hand bat
Bowling style: Legbreak googly
A fine allrounder, combining top-class legspin with useful lower order batting, and superb fielding. As a bowler he had a wide repertoire – regular legbreaks, googly, topspinner and flipper – and his control improved considerably as his career progressed . Paul was one of the best fielders in an outstanding fielding side, often seen in the covers or backward point area. He was at his best as a batsman when the pressure was on and runs were needed urgently, as he proved while scoring his only Test century , against Pakistan at Sheikhapura in 1996-97 . Paul’s greatest qualities were his fighting spirit and his unselfish approach. His match double of a century and five wickets in a Test innings was a major career highlight, and he took great pleasure in his 87-run partnership with his brother Bryan – their father was a first-class umpire. Paul’s figures of 8 for 109 against New Zealand at Bulawayo in 2000-01 were at the time the best ever recorded for Zimbabwe in Test cricket.
2. John Rennie (Zimbabwe pace bowler)
https://search.co.zw/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/John-Rennie.jpg
Born: July 29, 1970, Masvingo
Major teams: Zimbabwe, Matabeleland
Batting style: Right-hand bat
Bowling style: Right-arm medium-fast
John Alexander Rennie is a former Zimbabwean cricketer who played in 4 Tests and 44 ODIs from 1993 to 2000. He used to wear prescription spectacles. As a fast-medium swing bowler, selected mainly for one-day matches, he always played with the utmost heart and enthusiasm, and often took early wickets for Zimbabwe. He was also a useful batsman and good fielder. He was never selected for any of the national age-group teams, and it took him some years to become a regular in his school first team, but he progressed steadily through club cricket to the national side.
3. Henry Olonga (1st black Zimbabwe Test cricketer)
Born: 3 July 1976, Lusaka (Zambia)
Major teams: Zimbabwe (since 1994/95), Matabeleland (since 1993/94). Queens Sports Club (Bulawayo)
Batting Style: Right Hand Bat
Bowling Style: Right Arm Fast
Henry Olonga was the first black cricketer and the youngest person to play for Zimbabwe, and it was entirely appropriate that his debut was the occasion of Zimbabwe’s first Test victory, against Pakistan in 1994/95.
Olonga joined the Zimbabwe team at the 1996 Cricket World Cup in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. He was selected to play in Zimbabwe’s final game of the competition, against India, but asked to be omitted as he was out of practice. He was a regular member of the Zimbabwe team from 1998 to 2003. He was man of the match when he took his first 5-wicket haul (5–70) in Tests playing against India in October 1998, Zimbabwe’s second Test victory, and he was the spearhead of the team that won Zimbabwe’s first overseas Test.
4. Robert Brian (Bobby) Skinstad
Born: 3 July 1976, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Bob Skinstad is a rugby union player who has represented the South African national team, the Springboks. He played in the positions of flanker and number eight. He became youngest ever Springbok rugby captain in 2001, and captained the Springboks in 12 tests.
Skinstad was selected by Western Province for the Currie Cup and Super 12, and went on to captain both sides. He then moved to Johannesburg and played the 2003 season for the Golden Lions (Currie Cup) and the Cats (Super 12) before leaving for the United Kingdom.
Skinstad was eligible to represent 3 countries at international level, Zimbabwe South Africa and Ireland through his Irish mother who hails from County Louth.
Having represented South Africa at all levels, including captaining the under 21 Springbok side in 1996 and 1997, and playing for the SA Sevens team in 1997, Skinstad made his début for the Springboks as a replacement on 29 November 1997 against England. In all he played 42 tests for the Springboks, scoring 11 tries.
His inclusion in the 1999 World Cup squad at the expense of successful captain Gary Teichmann was highly controversial in South Africa, and although South Africa finished third in the competition there were many who believed that Teichmann should have been retained as captain for that tournament. Skinstad carried a leg injury into the competition, and made little impression.
By Brian Gurupira
