By John Ward

The second round of the Logan Cup competition was slightly less damp than the first, although the two results obtained in the three matches had to be manufactured. It is frustrating when the Zimbabwean players get so little opportunity to play the longer version of the game, and what little they have is rendered artificial by the weather.

In Kwekwe Midlands beat the CFX Academy by 111 runs, after a match of three declarations in good weather after the first day had been washed out. The Midlands officials had performed the nearest equivalent of moving mountains in order to make play possible, and their chairman Ken Connelly gives an count of their labours in this issue. The Academy for the second match running were given what to their lack of experience was rather a difficult target to chase; nevertheless they gamely accepted the situation but were again defeated. [More]

BIOGRAPHY

Leon Soma

Leon Soma is a promising all-rounder from Mutare currently at the CFX Academy. He has no family background in the game, although he has two younger brothers who also play. He first developed an interest at Hillcrest Preparatory School, initially while playing casually with friends, although he mentions former Manicaland player Ryan Barbour who coached him when he reached the school first team and helped him a great deal. [More]

Barney Rogers

Barney Rogers comes from a cricket-loving family, his father having played first-team cricket at school and his uncle Brian for the national schools team in 1974 and 1975. Naturally his first contact with the game was at home, in the family garden, at the age of about three or four. Like Alistair Campbell, he is a natural right-hander, but his father changed him round on the theory that the strongest hand should be at the top of the bat. His father batted left-handed and bowled right, and his uncle just the opposite, so the ability to be ambidextrous seems to run in the family. [More]

INTERVIEW

Grant Flower looks back on India and the Logan Cup match with Mashonaland
Grant Flower spoke to CricInfo about a few aspects of the recent Zimbabwean overseas tour and about the Logan Cup match this last weekend between Mashonaland A and Mashonaland, having been appointed captain of the latter. [More]

Rain thwarts Manicaland and Matabeleland

Manicaland traveled to Bulawayo last weekend to face Matabeleland for their second scheduled Logan Cup game of the season. The early-season hopes of fielding two of Zimbabwe's top players failed to materialize when Guy Whittall was forced into surgery for a groin injury, and Andy Flower was refused permission by his home province.

Despite the fact that he wanted to play for Manicaland and that the Zimbabwe Cricket Union is trying to spread its top players around the country, the Mashonaland board insisted on its right of first call. The rules state that a player should turn out for the province in which he plays club cricket. Score 1 to the train spotters and nil to player power.

LETTERS

Sad Trends

I realize that you have received many letters congratulating Zimbabwe on their sportsmanship from Australian correspondents. This is about to be another one... but there is a sting in the tail too.

This week I listened to the cricket live from India on ABC rural radio while stuck in the NSW outback (transmitted via mobile phone on occasion when the broadcasting equipment broke down, glad it wasn't my phone bill!). To my dismay I heard a former Australian player for whom I had previously had some respect admit that he had knowingly accepted incorrect 'not-out' decisions and played on. Worse, he used the fact that his opposition knew he had really been out as a way to psych the bowlers.

BIOGRAPHY

Nyasha Chari

Nyasha Chari is one of the promising township players who have benefited from the development scheme and are now coming through into first-class cricket. Like the others, he has no family background in the game and developed an interest at junior school through a Zimbabwe Cricket Union coach, in this case Henry Motsi. [More]

SCHOOLS