PROVINCIAL NAMES

Just a quick question. Why have you two teams in your domestic cricket carrying the name Mashonaland? It would seem to me that if you were to have two teams operating out of the same province (granted that Mashonaland is the strength of Zimbabwean cricket) then it would be both more marketable and professional if the name Mashonaland `A' was dropped as it implies that this is a second-string (read -rate) team. In my humble opinion I feel that the names for these two sides should be Mashonaland and Harare rather than the `A' team, this being an accurate reflection on the current strength of cricket in Zimbabwe.

Also we in Australia support Zimbabwe in its current time of political turmoil. Our thoughts and prayers are with the peace-loving Zimbabwean people during this time and can only hope that a peaceful outcome arises with the majority support of all Zimbabweans. Our tour may be off for now but we can guarantee that we will be back in more certain times to help in the development of Zimbabwean cricket. We in Australia are both perplexed and surprised by the occurrences in your beautiful land.

Marty Lauritsen (Geraldton, West Australia)

THANKS TO ZIMBABWE: JAMES CORNFORD OF MIDLANDS

Can I take this opportunity to say many thanks to the ZCU, and all the cricketing fraternity in Zimbabwe, for all the help and friendship they have given to James, my son. He told me he has gained a great deal from the six-month stay in Zim, socially and of course in cricketing terms. We are all grateful for James to play at Harare Sports Club and to be helped at the Academy by David Houghton, and all the good people in the Midlands.

I must say that to give James the opportunity to play first-class cricket in Zim, we consider it an honour. I sincerely hope that your super country will resolve its problems soon, and perhaps we might visit one day soon. So thank you again and good luck to all involved in your cricketing set-up. Please keep your super Zimbabwe cricket online site going.

Bill Cornford (Cheshire, England)

TRIBUTE TO CAMPBELL

I wrote a little something, it's about a certain ADR Campbell. Here it is.

Alistair Campbell is man out of all time. To look at his statistics would be to look at another man. His average belies the batsman that he is. After all, were all cricket to be done on a statistical basis ADR Campbell would have been dropped, and never recalled, after approximately 1994, but this is where the `Lies, Damned lies and statistics' effect comes into its element. On his day never has Zimbabwe produced a more devastating batsman (except Davy Houghton or Graeme Hick). The details of his individual innings can be found elsewhere, but as for the man, his record shows that we need not be a Bradman, we need not the statistics to prove that we are a batsman of international quality. We are all but human.

John Meffen (country not stated)

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