Mfuneko Ngam
Encyclopedia
Mfuneko Ngam is a South Africa
n cricketer
who has played three Test
s for South Africa in the 2000–01 season. However, injuries caused him to play a total of five matches from January 2001 to October 2003, and since his return he has not played representative cricket for the national team. The cricket news site Cricinfo
have reported that these injuries may be due to genetic disorders or a dietary deficiency at a young age. Whenever Ngam is not injured, he plays as a specialist fast bowler
for the Warriors
.
Ngam played his first five first class matches for the Eastern Province B team, but in his third season he was selected for the South Africa A
tour of the Caribbean
, where the team's co-coach, Shukri Conrad, said he was an "outstanding performer". Three months later, Ngam was called up to the squad in the third Test against New Zealand in 2000–01, as fast bowler Allan Donald
struggled with injury, and he made his debut on 8 December 2000, taking two for 34 in a match cut down to two days by the rain.
A week later, Ngam was offered a Category C contract. He played South Africa's two next Test matches in the home series with Sri Lanka, taking nine wickets in the two Tests before the first of a series of "stress fractures in his legs" struck. When he eventually returned to the South African Test setup for a tour of New Zealand in 2003–04, he suffered another stress fracture four days after being called up to the side.
After returning from injury, Ngam moved from Eastern Province (who by now had been renamed the Warriors) to play for the Dolphins
, based in neighbouring KwaZulu-Natal. He got 22 wickets for them in the 2004–05 season, his best seasonal haul in first class cricket to that date, but still moved back to the Warriors before the season ending Pro20 Series
, and came to the final with that team, but bowled two overs for 40 in the final as the Warriors failed to defend a total of 121. , Ngam still plays for the Warriors, but was not selected for that season's South Africa A tour of Sri Lanka
, indicating that he's not ranked among the top ten bowlers in South Africa by the South African selectors.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n cricketer
Cricketer
A cricketer is a person who plays the sport of cricket. Official and long-established cricket publications prefer the traditional word "cricketer" over the rarely used term "cricket player"....
who has played three Test
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
s for South Africa in the 2000–01 season. However, injuries caused him to play a total of five matches from January 2001 to October 2003, and since his return he has not played representative cricket for the national team. The cricket news site Cricinfo
Cricinfo
ESPNcricinfo is believed to be the largest cricket-related website on the World Wide Web. Content includes news,articles, live scorecards,live text commentary and a comprehensive and searchable database called 'StatsGuru', of historical matches and players from the 18th century to the present...
have reported that these injuries may be due to genetic disorders or a dietary deficiency at a young age. Whenever Ngam is not injured, he plays as a specialist fast bowler
Fast bowling
Fast bowling, sometimes known as pace bowling, is one of the two main approaches to bowling in the sport of cricket. The other is spin bowling...
for the Warriors
Warriors cricket team
The Chevrolet Warriors is the name used by the combined Eastern Province and Border first class cricket teams in South Africa. The home venues of the Warriors are St George's Park, Port Elizabeth and Buffalo Park, East London....
.
Ngam played his first five first class matches for the Eastern Province B team, but in his third season he was selected for the South Africa A
South Africa A cricket team
The South Africa A cricket team is a national cricket team representing South Africa. It is the 'second-tier' of international South African cricket, below the full South Africa national cricket team. Matches played by South Africa A are not considered to be Test matches or One Day...
tour of the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, where the team's co-coach, Shukri Conrad, said he was an "outstanding performer". Three months later, Ngam was called up to the squad in the third Test against New Zealand in 2000–01, as fast bowler Allan Donald
Allan Donald
Allan Anthony Donald is a former South African cricketer and one of their most successful pace bowlers.In his prime, he was one of the best fast bowlers ever seen in Test cricket, reaching the top of the ICC Test rankings in 1998 and peaked with a top ICC ranking of 895 points the next year, the...
struggled with injury, and he made his debut on 8 December 2000, taking two for 34 in a match cut down to two days by the rain.
A week later, Ngam was offered a Category C contract. He played South Africa's two next Test matches in the home series with Sri Lanka, taking nine wickets in the two Tests before the first of a series of "stress fractures in his legs" struck. When he eventually returned to the South African Test setup for a tour of New Zealand in 2003–04, he suffered another stress fracture four days after being called up to the side.
After returning from injury, Ngam moved from Eastern Province (who by now had been renamed the Warriors) to play for the Dolphins
Dolphins cricket team
The Sunfoil Dolphins is the name used by the KwaZulu Natal cricket team when it plays in the South African SuperSport Series first class competition; also in the MTN Domestic Championship and Standard Bank Twenty20 limited over competitions...
, based in neighbouring KwaZulu-Natal. He got 22 wickets for them in the 2004–05 season, his best seasonal haul in first class cricket to that date, but still moved back to the Warriors before the season ending Pro20 Series
Twenty20
Twenty20 is a form of cricket, originally introduced in England for professional inter-county competition by the England and Wales Cricket Board , in 2003. A Twenty20 game involves two teams, each has a single innings, batting for a maximum of 20 overs. Twenty20 cricket is also known as T20 cricket...
, and came to the final with that team, but bowled two overs for 40 in the final as the Warriors failed to defend a total of 121. , Ngam still plays for the Warriors, but was not selected for that season's South Africa A tour of Sri Lanka
South Africa A cricket team in Sri Lanka in 2005-06
The South Africa A cricket team are touring Sri Lanka in September and October 2005. South Africa A are a team made up of the second tier of South African cricketers, just below the national team. They played Sri Lanka A for two first class matches, and the hosts won the first by a convincing margin...
, indicating that he's not ranked among the top ten bowlers in South Africa by the South African selectors.