Zimbabwe Cricket Online editorial: The Logan Cup and the ICC Emerging Nations tournament

EDITORIAL

By John Ward (jward@samara.co.zw)

Zimbabwe's busiest domestic cricket season is entering its last week. Simultaneously we have the ICC Emerging Nations tournament in Harare, and the Logan Cup final between Mashonaland and Manicaland, with many players in both. Our next issue will report on both.

The league stage of the Logan Cup finished with Manicaland just ahead of Mashonaland, but the CFX Academy would have overhauled Mashonaland had they been able to bowl out Matabeleland a second time to win their match. Instead, the young Matabeleland side managed to play out their first draw of the tournament.

Overall the Logan Cup has been a great success. The general standard of play has not really been first-class, by the definition accepted by the leading Test-playing countries, but it is a beginning. Most of the cricketers taking part were enjoying their first prolonged exposure to the longer version of the game and, if not successful this time, will be wiser for the experience and probably more successful in future seasons.

The tournament was dominated, as could be expected, by fringe Test players not touring the West Indies and by past Academy students. Neil Ferreira was perhaps most outstanding: besides keeping wicket for Manicaland, he opened the batting and scored three centuries in his four league matches. In the fourth, against Matabeleland, he almost carried his bat through his team's first innings, being last out. Mark Vermeulen and Doug Marillier both recorded two centuries for their adopted provinces, Matabeleland and Midlands, with Vermeulen's 197 against Midlands being the highest individual score of the tournament. Interestingly, in that match, with these two batsmen on opposite sides, both scored more than 65% of their respective team's first-innings total, a rare achievement even once in a match.

Bowling feats were less notable, and the most startling performances were usually by spinners, although Gus Mackay of Mashonaland took eleven cheap wickets in the match against Midlands last weekend on a pitch at Harare Sports Club condemned by both teams as being sub-standard. Most other hauls of five wickets or more were taken by spinners: 7/73 by Greg Lamb for the Academy against Midlands, 6/73 by Dirk Viljoen for Mashonaland against Manicaland at Mutare Sports Club, 5/45 by Graham Ferreira for Midlands against Matabeleland and 5/47 by Andrew Whittall for Manicaland against the Academy. All except Viljoen (slow left-arm) are off-spinners, and Lamb and Ferreira are really batsmen who can bowl rather than specialists. Lamb used to bowl medium-pace, but due to recent shoulder trouble has recently turned to off-spin.

Perhaps the greatest success of the Logan Cup has been the enthusiasm it has aroused in Manicaland and the Midlands. Manicaland are in with a chance of winning the Logan Cup, although it will be difficult against the far more experienced Mashonaland, who also have greater depth. But it would be great for their cricket were they to slay Goliath, and they probably have the support of most of the country, as Mashonaland have not been a popular side. They have been perceived by many as arrogant and ungracious on and off the field, and unnecessarily antagonistic on it.

Midlands, with fewer quality experienced players to call on, have struggled, and hardly deserved to play Mashonaland on another troublesome pitch at Harare Sports Club, a venue whose pitches have attracted much criticism this season. But they were able to joke about their experience afterwards, and they will have their narrow victory over Matabeleland to savour. Cricket in both the minor provinces is thriving and young players are enthusiastic, enjoying coaching at local centres of excellence, and will come through. Matabeleland had a very young side, two of their losses were by narrow margins, and they too will be stronger in years to come.