Dave Houghton on the Logan Cup

I think the Logan Cup should be our premier competition in the country. I believe it should be played throughout the season on a two-round basis, and the national league should then fit in around the Logan Cup.

We've eventually recognized that the Logan Cup is a tournament that should be played at one time, but it is being played in February and March which is the rainy season. In a way that is almost defeating the object. If we get four or five weekends of rain now, our most prestigious tournament will be washed out. [More]

INTERVIEW

Alistair Campbell: his first Test century

I knew that after New Zealand came to Zimbabwe, and after the way I had been batting in the one-day matches in England, that if I carried on batting that way, with the same mental approach, then my first Test century would come - it was just a case of when.

I got close against New Zealand here, scoring 88, and then in the first innings of the Test match in India I scored 70. I was looking good to carry on there, but didn't do it. Then, on a good batting pitch in the Second Test, I played a really shocking shot in the first innings to get out. [More]

...and the Zimbabwe tour to Australia

Keith Dabengwa is the first black Zimbabwean to win through to first-class cricket primarily as a spin bowler. Like most black Zimbabwean players, he has no family background in cricket. He is the youngest of a family of six children and the only one to take an interest in the sport. Incidentally, he has a relative who is a minister in the Zimbabwean government. [More]

Stu Carlisle on tour
Stuart Carlisle finished the long tour of Sharjah, India, New Zealand and Australia on a high, with a magnificent century against the might of Australia that almost won the match for his side. He spoke to John Ward soon after his return to Zimbabwe.

The tour began in Sharjah back in October. Stuart, on his third visit, enjoys playing there. "There are normally pretty good batting pitches," he says, "although obviously you need to be able to play spin pretty well. The ball does turn there a bit. I did get one reasonably good score [60 in the first match against India], and I remember I got run out by Mark Vermeulen in the first game! This was his debut game, so that was a bit unfortunate. [More]

...and in Australia

Zimbabwe went into the Carlton and United Series in Australia knowing that basically it would be a contest between themselves and West Indies to play Australia in the final. Having beaten West Indies in three matches out of three in a similar triangular tournament in England a few months earlier, Zimbabwe knew they could do the job and have the better of West Indies in the four matches between the sides in this tournament. But they discovered there is a big difference between knowing they can do it and actually doing it. [Part 1 | Part 2]

BIOGRAPHY

Ryan Butterworth
Ryan Butterworth is one of the leading students at the CFX Academy for 2001. Although he was never selected for one of the national age-group teams at cricket, his performances for Old Hararians in the national first league club championship probably won him a place at the Academy.

His club and the Academy play him as an opening batsman, although he would prefer to bat at number four if given the choice. He sees himself as an all-rounder, though, bowling medium-paced seamers ("I just try and move the ball around as much as I can") and also keeping wicket at times. [More]

LETTERS

ZIMBABWE CRICKET LOSES CELEBRITY!
Melbourne paper The Age remarks "Zimbabwe...struggled in Australia this summer after losing star players Murray Goodwin and Neil Armstrong". Now THAT would bring in the crowds, although he's a bit long in the tooth - but wasn't it golf he played on the moon? That aside, I have just had a great time following the team around New Zealand and Australia. If they can get it together to bat, bowl and field to their best ability in the same match, the world should be their oyster. The last match against Australia was a joy to watch.
Marion Pitman (England) [More Letters]

DOMESTIC

Mashonaland Logan Cup preview

"It has been horrendous trying to get the teams together," said Mashonaland convener of selectors Max Ebrahim. One withdrawal after another made his job a nightmare and the selectors had to change the teams five or six times.

They eventually came up with the following line-ups for the first round of matches, due to start on Friday 15 February - if the weather permits. There has been a great deal of rain in Harare recently, but the matches should start on time if further rain holds off. There is the strong possibility, though, that the weather will intervene during the three days. [More]

Matabeleland Logan Cup Report
by Derrick Townshend

The Matabeleland Logan Cup team will be without national captain Heath Streak for the opening game against Mashonaland 'A' this weekend. Streak, who will only arrive back in Bulawayo on the evening of 15 February after the long flight from Australia, where he attended the meeting on international captains, will benefit from a rest for a couple of weeks before the second game against Manicaland in Bulawayo on 2 March. [More]

Manicaland report
By Nigel Fleming

Mutare has received six or seven inches of rain over the last few days so our opening first-class fixture in this year's Logan Cup is looking under threat. A patchy rainy season which threatened at some stages to lapse into a full-scale drought has culminated in Biblical-like downpours. Our part-time curator 26-year-old motor-mechanic Jason Sparrow and his team of three full-time groundsmen have been working furiously to overcome boggy conditions. The Mutare Sports Club outfield drains well, but the pitch which was overlaid with clay in the off-season resembles a newly planted rice paddy. The three-day match is supposed to start this Friday, 16 February. [More]

CFX Academy Logan Cup Preview

The CFX Academy for 2001 only opened at the beginning of February, so the Logan Cup finds most of the players recently out of school and not best prepared for first-class cricket as a team. Coach Dave Houghton talks to John Ward. Our squad is 15 players at the moment, but Sean Ervine is on the injury list so he probably won't be playing for the next six weeks. He has cartilage damage in his left knee and he may have to have an operation next week. We don't expect to have much use of him for the rest of this particular season. [More]

SCHOOLS

Petra High School
by Otis Msundire

In the year 2000 Petra struggled at first with not having adequate qualified coaching staff but the most important thing was that those that were there were keen. Most of the first term fixtures were affected by rain. [More]

STATISTICS

Heath Streak in One-Day Internationals [More]

Andy Flower in One-Day Internationals [More]