Jordane Nicolle - biography

FULL NAME: Jordane Stanley Nicolle
BORN: At Bulawayo, 20 December 1982
MAJOR TEAMS: CFX Academy (2001/02). Present club side: Bulawayo Athletic Club (Bulawayo), Universals (Harare)
KNOWN AS: Jordane/Jordi Nicolle
BATTING STYLE: Right Hand Bat
BOWLING STYLE: Right Arm Fast Medium
OCCUPATION: CFX Academy student

FIRST-CLASS DEBUT: 15-17 February 2002, CFX Academy v Manicaland, at Mutare Sports Club
TEST DEBUT: Still awaited
ODI DEBUT: Still awaited

BIOGRAPHY (March 2002)

One of the most promising students at the CFX Academy in 2002 is Matabeleland's young pace bowler Jordane Nicolle. After a good record in national Under-19 cricket, he continued to make progress by looking the Academy's most dangerous bowler in the Logan Cup competition of 2001/02.

He has the advantage of a cricketing background; his father is Gwanda farmer Terry Nicolle, who has had a career as Matabeleland Districts player and administrator and is now a national selector, while his grandfather was also a notable player. He is the middle of three brothers; his older brother is also a very keen player, but currently out of Zimbabwean cricket while he obtains his degree at Stellenbosch University in South Africa.

Jordane remembers from his earliest years playing cricket in the net especially built on the family farm in southern Matabeleland. He attended Whitestone Primary School in Bulawayo as a boarder, first playing for the school in Grade Five, being something of a late developer, despite his background. It took him another two years to force his way into the school first team, which he did as a pace bowler - he admits he has never been much of a batsman. He remembers taking two sets of five wickets in an innings, with a performance against Milton Junior School his favourite memory. He played for Matabeleland primary schools but not for the national side.

He then progressed to Falcon College, playing mainly in the B team for each age group, and feels that his cricket deteriorated with each year. By the time he was in the fourth form and Lower Sixth he was captaining the third team. He did take some good wickets for Matabeleland Country Districts against the Mashonaland side, though, and then suddenly made progress in his final year. He has played winter cricket regularly for Gwanda whenever he can, and he appreciates the `lovely green tops' his father prepares on the home pitch; he has taken a couple of `five-fers'.

How does he account for his sudden rise? "It was a lot of determination and effort on my father's part, which got into my mind," he says. "I had a lot of encouragement, and I got a lot fitter and stronger. I continued trying to bowl as fast as I could, and it came right in the end." His best performance was seven wickets for 32 runs against Peterhouse, well timed in coming the weekend before the national trials. He pays tribute to the coaching he received from Dave Grant, the first-team coach at Falcon.

In his final year at school, 2000, Jordane finally made the national age-group side, playing for the Under-19 team. He did not have great success as far as wicket-taking was concerned, never taking more than two or three in an innings, but he did impress some notable judges. He considered applying for the Academy for 2001, but after considering the situation of the country decided to secure his future at Stellenbosch University, following his brother there.

He was still eligible for the Under-19 side and continued to play, going to New Zealand with the World Cup team. He stayed only a year at Stellenbosch, starting a Bachelor of Mathematical Science degree, before deciding it was not the right course for him and taking a break. "I passed three of my five subjects and these are valid for the next ten years, so if need be I can go back and finish it off, or do something else," he says. This time he did apply for the Academy and was accepted.

As a batsman his highest score was 48, for the Under-19 team playing against a similar side from Easterns in South Africa in Bulawayo, sharing a century partnership for the last wicket, so he does have some talent in that area. "It's probably my only claim to fame with the bat," he says with a smile. "I like to think of myself as an aggressive lower-order batsman, but I can hang around." He feels he has the ability to move up to number eight or nine.

He has played his club cricket for Bulawayo Athletic Club, and took eight wickets in an innings against Queens, his best figures in any class of cricket, the weekend after the Under-19 trials. After joining the Academy he has played for Universals in Harare.

As a bowler he uses the yorker regularly, especially in one-day cricket. His stock delivery is the inswinger, and he can also cut the ball back off the pitch, but he admits he needs to develop more accuracy. He likes to field in the point or backward point area, but is more often sent off to fine leg.

Jordane feels he has already learned a great deal at the Academy, especially from Eddo Brandes, who is the bowling coach, and looks forward enthusiastically to developing and widening his range of skills in the near future.

Cricket heroes: "Travis Friend is a guy I really look up to, and obviously Brett Lee, my number one hero."

Toughest opponents: "I haven't bowled at any of the main national players yet, but I'm looking forward to that challenge."

Personal ambitions: "My goals have been to get six wickets in every Logan Cup game, and I've managed to do that so far. A ten-haul in one of the next three games would be amazing."

Proudest achievement so far: "Making the Under-19 side, which was a big step for me. Going from the third team to the Under-19 side in one year was quite an achievement."

Best friends in cricket: "Charles Coventry - he and I have grown up and played with and against each other over the last six years, and rooming together and touring together."

Other qualifications: A-levels and started Bachelor of Mathematical Science degree.

Other sports: First-team hockey at Falcon College.

Outside interests: Riding motor-bikes - "which isn't the greatest hobby for a fast bowler!"

Views on cricket: "Things are slowly getting more professional in cricket circles in this country, from the top to the bottom, which is good. I'm sure things are going to get a lot better for Zimbabwe cricket in the next few years, especially with the World Cup coming up. I'm sure the main guys will do very well, and that will give the game a tremendous boost right round the country."