Chigumbura pins hope Zimbabwe can maintain warm-up form

HAMILTON, New Zealand, Feb 14 (AFP): Zimbabwe captain Elton Chigumbura is optimistic his team can carry the good form they showed during the warm-up matches into their opening World Cup Pool B tie against South Africa in Hamilton Sunday.
The 28-year-old said good showings in the rained-off first warm-up game against New Zealand-where they reduced the co-hosts to 157 for seven-and then a shock seven-wicket win over Sri Lanka had bolstered Zimbabwe's morale.
"It (the warm-up performances) gives us a lot of confidence," said Chigumbura Saturday. "It gives us a lot of the belief that we do need as a team, that it's possible to beat a big team, and obvious, looking at the guys who performed, our main batters, which is a good sign."
Zimbabwe's two key batsmen were both in the runs against Sri Lanka, the 1996 champions and losing finalists at the last two World Cups, with Hamilton Masakadza hitting a brilliant unbeaten hundred and Brendon Taylor making 63.
"We're looking forward to the main games now, and hopefully the guys who performed well will carry on with their form and hopefully finish on the better side tomorrow," Chigumbura added.