By John Ward

I have just returned from spending four largely wasted days in Mutare for the match between the Zimbabwe Board XI and Northerns B. Just under a full day's play was possible, the second day of the three-day match; the other three were completely lost. [More]

BIOGRAPHY

Ian Engelbrecht - updated biography

Perhaps one of the most underestimated, and also unrewarded, of Zimbabwe's young cricketers is slow left-arm bowler and all-rounder Ian Engelbrecht, of Bulawayo. He was the most successful bowler in the Logan Cup competition of 2000/01, taking 26 wickets in his five matches, yet at the time of writing his only acknowledgement by the national selectors was to be called into the squad to play Northerns B in Mutare in the UCBSA Bowl competition. [More]

LETTERS

GRIPPER'S TON
G'Day mate, don't want to be a nitpicker, but didn't you do an interview with Gripper in ZCO last season after he scored his first hundred in first class cricket? Wouldn't his 112 against Bangladesh be his second?

I also had a question about player numbers. Many references have been made to shrinking player numbers, but the structure of first-class and national league teams keep expanding. Could you explain this discrepancy, it just made me curious.
James McMaster (Australia)

Reply: Well done for picking up the Gripper error - a slip of the keyboard! I've heard talk about the decline in player numbers but, whereas there is certainly a shortage of experienced players in the game, there seem to be more youngsters coming into it than for a long time.

NEWS

Matabeleland report
by Derrick Townshend
The Matabeleland trial match took place at BAC over the weekend and was the first occasion that the players have come together in preparation for the Logan Cup early next year. Fortunately the rain held off and despite some stoppages, the match was able to be completed, although the result was a draw. [More]

Manicaland report
by Nigel Fleming
Mutare Sports Club has again proved a poor location for first-class cricket. Following the Logan Cup washout disaster of last season, another high-profile match has been abandoned at this vulnerable ground. Two of the three scheduled days in the Northern Titan's B/Zimbabwe Board XI three-day game and an entire limited-overs game were lost last weekend due to inadequate pitch protection. It is incomprehensible that the ZCU can endanger its relationship with the South African Cricket Association with derelict planning of this magnitude. [More]

Zimbabwe U14 squad chosen
by Tristan Holme
The Zimbabwe Under-14 cricket team to tour South Africa in December was selected over the half-term weekend. Mr Mike Nash of St. George's College was, as always, the convener of trials. [More]

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