Hamilton Masakadza: updated biography

FULL NAME: Hamilton Masakadza
BORN: At Harare, 9 August 1983
MAJOR TEAMS: Manicaland (1999/2000), Mashonaland (2000/01- ). Club side: Winstonians
KNOWN AS: Hamilton Masakadza
BATTING STYLE: Right Hand Bat
BOWLING STYLE: Leg Breaks
OCCUPATION: Student at Churchill School

FIRST-CLASS DEBUT: 7-9 April 2000, Manicaland v Mashonaland, at Harare Sports Club
TEST DEBUT: Still awaited
ODI DEBUT: Still awaited

BIOGRAPHY (February 2001)

Hamilton Masakadza, still a schoolboy at Churchill High School in Harare, achieved a notable landmark on 16 February 2000 when he became the first black Zimbabwean to score a century if first-class cricket. It was only his second first-class match when he scored exactly 100 against the admittedly inexperienced CFX Academy bowling at Harare Sports Club in the Logan Cup competition. His innings showed temperament, determination and maturity, and, at the age of 17 years and 191 days, he was the youngest Zimbabwean ever to make a first-class century, beating the record held by Alistair Campbell.

Hamilton made his first-class debut for Manicaland in the Logan Cup final of 1999/2000, although strictly speaking he had no qualifications to play for that province. It was the time when the farm invasions started and several of the Manicaland players with farms were unwilling to leave their homes, so Manicaland obtained a special dispensation to play Hamilton. His calm 53 in the first innings was almost half his team's total, and only one other batsman reached double figures.

Playing for his home province in the 2000/01 Logan Cup, he opened the innings with Gavin Rennie and they put on 65 for the first wicket after a slow start in difficult and damp conditions. However, the inexperienced bowlers were unable to take advantage of them. "The bowling was quite good at first," Hamilton said. "But the firstand second-change bowlers didn't bowl too well. I kept struggling to drive into the gap. It was only through Trevor Madondo and Andy Flower that I managed to stay in there. They encouraged me just to keep going even if I wasn't getting it right. Matthew Townshend was the hardest to play. He kept bowling a consistent line and length, swinging it away nicely. I waited for the spinners and took them apart a bit."

Hamilton has no family background in cricket, although he comes from a keen sporting family, each member specializing in a different sport. His interest in cricket came when he was in Grade 5 at Mbizi Primary School in the black Harare township of Highfield. ZCU coach Stephen Mangongo visited the school and introduced the class to cricket, and Hamilton was captivated from the start. He played his first matches for his school team, and then for the Highfield team. In Grade 6 and 7 he played for Mashonaland sides in the national primary schools cricket week. His highest score while at junior school was 80, for Highfield against Glen Norah. Stephen Mangongo arranged a scholarship for Hamilton to Churchill High School, along with several other promising cricketers, including Stuart Matsikenyeri and Tatenda Taibu in Hamilton's own year. The three have remained close friends.

Hamilton has always considered himself to be an all-rounder, bowling medium pace in his junior school years and then switching to leg-spin in Form 2. For several years he was considered more as a bowler who could bat, surprisingly as he scored two centuries in his first year at high school, against Jameson and Hillcrest. His 151 not out against Jameson remains his highest score in any class of cricket. The change came when he was selected for the national Under-16 team and coach Bill Flower, father of Test players Andy and Grant, sent him in as opening batsman throughout the South African Schools Week, which boosted his confidence in his ability.

In his Under-16 year, Form Three, his batting really improved, and he scored a century against Hillcrest. Surprisingly he was not yet in the school first team; Churchill had rather an embarrassment of riches in his year, and the coach told Hamilton that he was promoting Taibu and Matsikenyeri, but would let Hamilton captain the Under-16 team and stay there as a player for a further year, with the promise of promotion the following year. Hamilton is now in his third year in the school first team but has not yet managed to score a century there, his best being 85 against Prince Edward. His best bowling figures were four wickets for 6 runs against the same opposition. "I don't really turn the ball," he admits, explaining why he has not had richer hauls. Most of his deliveries were top-spinners but he is now learning to spin the ball more, with help from Dave Houghton and Paul Strang, albeit with some loss of control.

In the last two years Hamilton has played for the national Under-19 team, and also in the Zimbabwe Development team that took part in the Zone 6 competition in Kenya during 2000. He scored 113 not out against Border in the South African Under-19 Week, leading his team to victory when 252 were needed.

Hamilton first joined Winstonians Cricket Club when in Grade 7, as an opening batsman then, and from Forms One to Three played for their second team. He became a regular for the first team in Form Four, when he was still batting at number nine and playing mainly as a bowler. Soon, thanks to Bill Flower's encouragement, he was going in first again. His highest score for Winstonians has been 88, scored against Old Georgians this season.

Hamilton is currently taking A-levels in Mathematics, Economics and Geography and hopes to progress to university next year. The CFX Academy are naturally very keen to have him, but they will encourage him to attend university first if he obtains a place. There is also the alternative of attending the Academy and doing a university degree by correspondence. He intends to pursue a full-time career in cricket but wisely wishes to obtain additional qualifications.

He is a rare batsman in Zimbabwean cricket in that he prefers opening to batting in the middle order, and certainly the opening berth is always the most readily available in the national side. "It makes me feel I have all the time to score hundreds," he says. He is strong on the drive, more off the front foot than the back foot, but he will have to learn to play back more readily in international cricket. He usually fields close to the wicket, in the slips, although in Logan Cup cricket, as the most junior member of the side, he was posted at short leg.

Hamilton recognizes the debt he owes to his first coaches, Stephen Mangongo and his assistants Walter Chawaguta and Bruce Makovah. More recently, Bill Flower and Dave Houghton have been major influences.

Cricket heroes: "Andy Flower and Shane Warne."

Toughest opponents: "Gus Mackay. He has always given me such a hard time when we play against OGs."

Immediate ambitions: "To get through university with a degree, and then play professional cricket."

Proudest achievement so far: "My selection for the World Cup side as soon as I had finished my Under-16 year, and going with them to Sri Lanka."

Best friends in cricket: "Tatenda Taibu and Stuart Matsikenyeri."

Other qualifications: None yet.

Other sports: Rugby from Forms One to Three; now hockey, left half-back and current school captain.

Outside interests: "I read a lot of novels and play chess."