Faithwear One Day Series

February 28, 2009 - March 7, 2009

Champions: Easterns
Runner-up: Westerns

It was the Faithwear series that kicked off the official domestic cricket season in Zimbabwe for 2008-09. This season saw the exclusion of Southerns, the feeling being that reducing the domestic competitions to 4 teams would increase the quality of cricket being played as a result of greater competition for squad places. This turned out to be very accurate with some very promising performances.

Centrals, who gained many of Southerns former players, became a much more competitive team, posting 3 scores over 200; Easterns, Northerns and Westerns only reached 200 twice. Despite this, Centrals won the wooden spoon. It was Easterns who continued their domestic dominance with 5 wins from their 6 matches (the other match was abandoned), winning the Faithwear cup.

The big news from this series was Mark Vermeulen's return to cricket. After burning down the Zimbabwe Cricket Academy in late 2006 his cricket career appeared to be over. But after being granted a second chance by Zimbabwe Cricket, he made his comeback in the 2008-09 Faithwear series.

Many players missed the beginning of the tournament due to the Zimbabwe A tour of Namibia and South Africa.

Teams

Northerns, Easterns, Westerns, Centrals

Star Players

Charles Coventry

Charles Coventry has been in and out of domestic cricket since 2006 when he clashed with national team coach Kevin Curran. With a new coach at the helm in Walter Chawaguta, Coventry appears poised to make a return to national team consideration. In the Faithwear series he led the runs table with 251 runs at 50.20. His top score of 81 not out was one of two half centuries.

Chamu Chibhabha

The Centrals captain was the only player besides Charles Coventry to score over 200 runs for the series. His 234 runs came at an average of 46.80 but what set him apart from the rest was his fantastic 121 not out against Westerns. He carried his bat for the entire duration of the innings, 48 overs batting first.

Ray Price

Raymond Price had to appear in only 4 of the 6 matches to become the leading wicket taker. His 9 wickets came at an average of just 10.11 and an economy of 2.65, proving just why he is Zimbabwe's best bowler. Amazingly, the 6 leading wicket takers of the Faithwear series did not play all of the matches. Ed Rainsford played 3 matches for his 8 wickets, Timycen Maruma 5 matches for 8 wickets, Graeme Cremer 5 matches for 8 wickets, Tawanda Mupariwa 3 matches for 7 wickets and Douglas Hondo 4 matches for 7 wickets.

Controversy

Game 4, the highly anticipated clash between Easterns and Northerns, was abandoned after both teams refused to play on the Academy grounds citing poor state of the playing surface. This resulted in an inquiry by ZC, the results of which were never made available.

Match results

Game 1: Easterns def. Centrals by 3 wickets
Game 2: Northerns def. Westerns by 5 wickets
Game 3: Westerns def. Centrals by 4 wickets (D/L)
Game 4: Match abandoned
Game 5: Easterns def. Westerns by 13 runs
Game 6: Northerns def. Centrals by 47 runs
Game 7: Westerns def. Centrals by 2 wickets
Game 8: Easterns def. Northerns by 33 runs
Game 9: Easterns def. Centrals by 3 wickets
Game 10: Westerns def. Northerns by 3 wickets
Game 11: Easterns def. Westerns by 45 runs
Game 12: Centrals def. Northerns by 2 wickets

Points table

  Team		Pl	W	L	N/R	Pts	Net RR
  ------------------------------------------------------------
  1. Easterns	6	5	0	1	24	+1.122
  2. Westerns	6	3	3	0	12	-0.513
  3. Northerns	6	2	3	1	12	+0.376
  4. Centrals	6	1	5	0	4	-0.779

Squads

Northerns: E Chigumbura (capt), G Cremer (capt), K Kondo, T Garwe, P Moor, C Zhuwawo, R Price, C Mutombodzi, R Chakabva, K Huni, S Mwakayeni, C Rizhibowa, A Manyumwa, T Taibu, P Charumbira, S Bala

Easterns: H Masakadza (capt), S Nyamuzinga, B Mlambo, S Matsikenyeri, F Mutizwa, P Utseya, T Maruma, S Masakadza, J Marumisa, D Tiripano, N Mushangwe, P Kadziche, D Hondo

Westerns: K Dabengwa (capt), C Coventry, N Ncube, M Vermeulen, T Ngulube, M Mabuza, T Mboyi, F Takarusenga, R Kasawaya, C Mpofu, T Mupariwa, B Mukondiwa, J Nyumbu

Centrals: C Chibhabha (capt), R Mutumbami, R Chinyengetere, B Mahwire, M Waller, N Waller, T Chitongo, E Chauluka, R Nyathi, B Chapungu, T Kamungozi, S Gupo, R Kahiya, T Chisoro, E Rainsford, M Chinouya, T Munyaradzi