Zimbabwe Cricket Online - Letters

I was wondering if there is either anything at the ZCU site, or if you could explain how the Logan Cup points system works. I noticed that for the first half of the season, some games have the points each team received in the scorecard, but some don't.

I assume that an outright win is 12 points and a draw of any kind is three points. But I don't know how batting and bowling points are allocated, nor do I know how penalty points are allocated.

I'm trying to put together a LC "race" chart, as per the ones I've done for other domestic competitions at:

https://domcricket.0catch.com/

but without a knowledge of the point system, or the points allocated for the games played Oct. 18-21, I cannot do that. Plus I'd like a better knowledge of how your tournament works.

Thanks very much in advance for any information you can provide.

P.S. I always enjoy reading your development newsletter. Though I am a West Indies supporter, I always enjoy reading your concise, informative newsletters. They are my guide to Zimbabwe cricket.

Reply: The points system is adapted from that for the English county championship, with bonus points awarded in the first 120 overs of the first innings. Up to four points are awarded for batting for every 50 runs, starting at 200, and for three, five, seven and nine wickets taken. Penalty points are deducted for poor over rates, but I don't have details for that - life is complicated enough as it is!

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TRIBUTE TO CAMPBELL

His journey from the commentator box to cricket pitch was amazing. And when he was sure to open against Kenya my own mind flew on the wings of fantasies - I dreamt of Campbell scoring his eighth hundred and at the Man of the Match ceremony dedicating the gold watch to his cancer-filled father Iain - "I did it for you, Dad!"

But I was jolted out of the reverie rather quickly. I was a fool as I thought that the on-going scenario would not affect player performances. It was a pity that politics again has a say in the premature retirement of another Zimbabwean legend.

The exuberant youth was visible in Kamba's sensational assault at Rawalpindi and during his 131* against Sri Lanka. But soon the talented Zimbabwe's Gower become the victim of growing expectations but he was never short of flamboyance. A classic was his late heart-stopping surge at the finish against Australia at Ahmedabad. The hundred by captain courageous in extremely hot conditions is unrivalled in splendour.

The "murder" of England, the away Test series win against Pakistan under his captaincy, his Test hundred to save the Nagpur Test and his bringing on of Olonga in the penultimate over against India in the World Cup are a few highlights of his illustrious career.

The aura associated with his batting, his ability gracefully to accept his mistakes, his downright honesty, his clarity of thoughts as evident in his Campbell's Diary and his fluent commentary all have no parallels. He once said, "I believe that once I'm finished with cricket, I can give something back to the game, something every cricketer must do in order to keep this great game alive."

What noble thoughts! Cricket is bound to get poor without charismatic players like Flower, Campbell and Olonga.

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UNPROFESSIONAL?

Does the Zimbabwe Cricket Team like to look like 'unprofessionals'? Every Zimbabwe bowler, minus the captain (Streak), has his shirt untucked. That is not even club cricket standard.

Reply: Agreed - it doesn't look good, but perhaps the manufacturers are also at fault for supplying shirts that are too short!