This Week in Zimbabwe (#1)

Posted by brmtaylor.com admin on April 04, 2009

This is the first weekly segment on brmtaylor.com - Every Saturday "This Week in Zimbabwe" will provide an overview of all of the happenings in Zimbabwe cricket over the past 7 days.

Let's begin.

Logan Cup (Round 2)

Last Tuesday the second round of Logan Cup matches began. Easterns took on Centrals at the Old Hararians ground while Northerns clashed with Westerns at Alexandra Sports Club.

The matches have now been completed with one surprising result. At Old Hararians, Centrals - the bottom ranked team in domestic cricket - managed a draw against the all conquering Easterns, an outfit which boasts national team players Hamilton Masakadza, Stuart Matsikenyeri, Timycen Maruma, Prosper Utseya, Forster Mutizwa and Douglas Hondo.

Batting first, Easterns were dismissed for 255 - which should have been enough to cause concern for Centrals. Forster Mutizwa continued his good run of form with 60 - his first First Class half-century, excluding his three centuries. Bothwell Chapungu made sure Centrals stayed in the contest and struck a career high 85. Centrals went on to make 252, trailing Easterns by 3 runs - essentially leaving the match in either sides hands. Douglas Hondo was the star performer with the ball, taking 5/59.

Easterns struggled in their second innings, with the top order all making starts but failing to go on. Timycen Maruma steadied the ship with a much-needed 66. Johnson Marumisa scored 48 before becoming a victim of the bowling of returnee Bright Mugochi. Hondo added 38 himself. Mutizwa remained unbeaten on 52.

By the end of the match, Centrals were 4/176 and the match was declared a draw. It was a result nobody predicted - 9 of the 9 tips at zimcricketforums.com were for an Easterns victory.

Meanwhile at Alexandra Sports Club, Northerns comfortably beat the Bulawayo based Westerns side thanks to brilliant allround performances by Ray Price and Graeme Cremer.

Northerns made 300 in their first innings. Cremer top scored with 74, while Elton Chigumbura contributed 53. None of the Westerns bowlers really dominated, although Chris Mpofu was economical bowling 17 overs for just 31 runs and taking 2 wickets. Mark Mabuza, who recently starred for Zimbabwe A, bowled 2 balls taking 1 wicket for no runs - he was lucky, getting the wicket of Cremer clean bowled. Strangely, Admire Manyumwa was the number 11 batsman - coming out after Trevor Garwe - which just signals the strength of the Northerns batting lineup.

Westerns struggled in reply. Freedom Takarusenga worked really hard for his 7, taking 62 balls to get there in a near 2 hour stay at the crease. He was out leg before off the bowling of Graeme Cremer. Mark Vermeulen top scored with 44 as he approaches the record of becoming the Logan Cup's top scorer in the history of the competition. Westerns had no other scores of note and were dismissed for 158. Manyumwa was outstanding with 5/15 from 18.2 overs. Ray Price and Graeme Cremer - who opened the bowling. They each took 2 wickets.

Elton Chigumbura came on third change and took 1/20 from his 8 overs.

In their second innings, Northerns top order failed with none of the top four reaching double figures. Tatenda Taibu added 43 to match his 43 from the first innings. It wasn't until the 8th wicket partnership of Chigumbura and Price that they really started to dominate. From the position of 7/96 at the fall of Taibu's wicket, Price and Chigumbura got the team to 8/256. Price was bowled by Keith Dabengwa for 77, while Chigumbura fell 6 short of his hundred caught by Mark Vermeulen, again off Dabengwa.

Westerns second innings started chasing an impossible 410 for victory. Cremer and Price did the damage with 3 wickets each, reducing Westerns to 6/39 at stumps on day 3. All out before lunch on the final day, Price ended with the figures of 6/69. Northerns defeated Westerns by 269 runs.

Brighton Mugochi returns from South Africa

As brmtaylor.com reported last year, Brighton Mugochi quit Zimbabwe cricket to move to South Africa. The star left-arm spinner - who boasts 43 wicket at 20.30 in just 9 matches - has had a change of heart, and returned to play for Centrals this week.

Abi Hamid passes away

Abi Hamid was a regular match referee in domestic matches. He sadly passed away last Sunday night after he said he felt side pains during a match for Old Hararians in the Vigne Cup second league.

He was 51 years old. The full article can be viewed at
http://www.brmtaylor.com/news-133.html