Series Thread: Logan Cup 2008-09

[Detective RDS]

Well done Malcolm Waller with 69 & 73!That's the way to make the bat talk.

Also good performance by Graeme Cremer and Elton Chigumbura.

[maehara]

Bit of a run-fest going on for Easterns in the other match:

Westerns – 156 all out in 55 overs:(K. Dabengwa 43, T. Madiri 41, M. Dube 30; S. Nyamuzinga 3/2, P. Kadzitye 3/42, D. Hondo 2/40)
Easterns – 466 for 5 in 121 overs: (S. Nyamuzinga 116*, Forster Mutizwa 81*, S. Matsikenyeri 111, H. Masakadza 107; K. Dabengwa 2/96, N. Ncube 1/76, J. Nyumbu 1/77, C. Mpofu 1/89)
Stumps on day 2 of 4-day match.

Resuming on 104 for two in response to the Westerns first innings total of 156 all out, Easterns were 466 for five at the close of the second day of their Logan Cup match, at the Zimbabwe Cricket Academy ground in Harare.

Zimbabwe top order batsmen Hamilton Masakadza and Stuart Matsikenyeri were at the crease when play resumed on Wednesday morning. Masakadza took his overnight 44 runs to 107 before he was trapped leg before wicket by fellow Zimbabwe international Keith Dabengwa. His 107 came off 194 balls in 245 minutes of occupation. It included 13 fours.

Matsikenyeri, dropped by John Nyumbu on 55, remained to be joined by number five Prosper Utseya and to also reach his own century. He took his tally from an overnight 25 to 111. That total was crafted from 198 balls, 15 of them fours.

Matsikenyeri again survived Utseya who himself was given life by Taurai Madiri on seven but did not exploit the opportunity as he was caught by the same fielder off Nyumbu three runs later. Eastern were now 248 for four.

Njabulo Ncube then got the prized wicket of Matsikenyeri (111) but that did not stop the Easterns show.

While his third-wicket partnership with Masakadza was worth 169 runs, that between Forster Mutizwa (81*) and Steven Nyamuzinga (116*) for the sixth wicket garnered 191.

And it is still standing.

[zulu]

this is very good to see a high scoring innings its incredible how the standard of the games are improving. the second string lads are doing very well, we have alot of depth now.

[Detective RDS]

Great to see high scoring match in the Logan Cup.

Worth noting that 2 international batsmen Masakadza and Masakadza has got centuries under their belt.Also Forster Mutizwa is also in a good velocity with 81* involving young S.Nyamuzinga also batting with an unbeaten century.

[muyendesi]

well done boys . Good to see them boys staying at creese for hours. Just to imagine , if taibu, williams and taylor had gone to india with the national team, waller, mutizwa and chibhabha would be playing for zimbabwe A

[brmtaylor.com admin]

Stuart Matsikenyeri is a flat track bully.

Good to see Nyamuzinga and Mutizwa batting well - it's all good for depth. In Mutizwa's case, I think he has secured a first eleven position. So far he has been a revelation, I just hope he can keep up the good work against a half decent attack. Sri Lanka and India will be a huge test for him, and if he can score runs against them it will put him in good stead for the future.

No surprises about the Masakadza hundred. He has a Test century after all, you expect this. Well done, he will be the key for us upon our Test return.

A shame about Westerns though, they appear to be so weak. They are missing a few players though - Vermeulen, Coventry, Mabuza - which doesn't help.

Graeme Cremer bowling very well as we expect. Malcolm Waller surprisingly good after a bit of a quiet run. Hopefully he can get a First Class ton in this tournament - to the good players, the Logan Cup should be an average boosting exercise.

Overall though, this has been a decent start to the tournament. It would be good to see some 300+ scores consistently from teams other than Easterns, that would be a sign of improvement all round.

[maehara]

Northerns beat Centrals by 3 wickets:

Centrals innings 180 all out in 62.5 overs: R.Kahiya 24, T.Chitongo 16 R.Price 2/0 G.Cremer 1/9 E.Chigumbura 1/24 (Resumed on 141/6)

Northerns innings 181/7 in 37.5 overs: R.Price 58, E.Chigumbura 37, T.Taibu 25 E.Rainsford 4/20, T.Muzarabani 1/40 C.Chibhabha 1/49

FAVOURITES Northerns lived up to their top billing by dismissing Centrals by three wickets in the Logan Cup first class match at Harare Sports Club on Thursday with still a day to spare after being set a modest 181 to win on a beautiful day for cricket.

Resuming on an overnight score of 141 for six Centrals lower order could only add 39 runs in the morning session before Ray Price (2/0), Graeme Cremer (1/9) and Elton Chigumbura (1/24) wiped them out to set Northerns a low target that always looked easy to chase. The trio had done the demolition job on Wednesday afternoon in taking six crucial wickets.

But with genuine batsmen all out in Wednesday's afternoon session, Centrals were left in a precarious position as their survival was in their bowlers taking wickets at a canter, something that proved a tall order. They toiled all afternoon with little respite.

The bowlers found no lucky in the session as Northerns raced to the target in 37.5 overs to wrap the match with a day to spare with Price top scoring with 58 off 77 balls featuring six boundaries and a maximum.

Tatenda Taibu (25) and Elton Chigumbura (37) batted well to push towards the target but both fell to Edward Rainsford and the inform Taurai Muzarabani respectively as Northerns safely negotiated their way to the result.

Rainsford, aggressive all afternoon took four wickets for 20 runs in nine overs removing Keith Kondo for a nine ball duck, Ishmael Senzere (3) Regis Chakabva and Tatenda Taibu in a spell that promised much but eventually proved an exercise in damage limitation. Other bowlers Chibhabha and Muzarabani could only master a wicket each as Northerns reached the target with a day to spare.

Northerns' victory which with a day to spare was well deserved for the workmanlike job as Centrals struggled to hit the necessary form for a first class match of this level. Key players like Chibhabha could not click well enough with the ball as their scores were too modest.

Northerns now prepare to face a Westerns side that has been made to toil by the powerful Easterns, at Alexandra Sports Club from Tuesday.

[Detective RDS]

Link: http://www.zimcricket.org/?pid=art&articleid=643

Easterns won by an innings and 275 runs

Easterns open Logan Cup account with heavy win


Westerns 156 and 110: (T. Mupariwa 34, K. Dabengwa 30, F. Takarusenga 30; H. Masakadza 4/11, S. Musoso 3/25).

Easterns 541 declared: (F. Mutizwa 124, S. Nyamuzinga 120, S. Matsikenyeri 111, H. Masakadza 107; C. Mpofu 3/104, K. Dabengwa 2/99, T. Mupariwa 2/111).

Easterns won by an innings and 275 runs.

UP in three: that was the story of the Logan Cup match at the Zimbabwe Cricket Academy ground in Harare.

Fresh from winning the Faithwear One-Day series, Easterns showed that they are more than just a limited-overs outfit as they posted a huge 541 runs in 141.3 overs against Westerns, who, after making 156 in their first innings, could only manage 110 in the second to lose by an innings and a bagful.

Resuming on their overnight 466 runs in their first innings, Easterns saw their partnership of Forster Mutizwa and Stephen Nyamuzinga continue to keep the scoreboard ticking. The duo put up 207 runs for the sixth wicket.

Their partnership was broken when Nyamuzinga was bowled by Christopher Mpofu with the second ball of the 127th over. He went for 120 runs.

Nyamuzinga?s tally was off 141 balls that included 14 fours and three sixes.

Mutizwa remained to be joined by Donald Tiripano who went for four and was replaced by Douglas Hondo (17).

Mutizwa was caught by Keith Dabengwa off Tawanda Mupariwa, leaving the score 541 for nine in 141.3 overs. He had added 124 runs to the Easterns total. Mutizwa faced 171 balls in 300 minutes and hit nine fours and five sixes.

For Westerns, Zimbabwe pacer Christopher Mpofu claimed three wickets for 104 runs in 25 overs. Fellow internationals Keith Dabengwa and Tawanda Mupariwa respectively got two for 99 runs in 35 overs with six maidens and two for 111 in 26.3 overs, four of which were maiden. Easterns took Mutizwa?s departure as their cue to declare.

The Westerns second innings got off to a better start than their first when Freedom Takarusenga and Tafadzwa Ngulube put up five runs for the first wicket. On Thursday they made 15, before Ngulube (2) was caught by Mutizwa off Hondo. Takarusenga went on to make 30 runs, tied second with Dabengwa on the batting list which was led by Mupariwa.

The captain?s knock of 34 came off 51 balls, four of them fours and one six.

[maehara]

Easterns v Westerns scorecard.

[Train Driver]

I notice from the cricinfo scorecard that Tawanda Mupariwa is listed as Westerns captain.

http://content.cricinfo.com/zimbabwedom ... 87897.html

possibly an error or has Keith Dabengwa been replaced ?

It looks as though Westerns very much need Coventry, Mabuza and Vermuelen back from the A team trip, that should help their batting but if Mpofu and Mupariwa have any more nightmares with the ball they really don't seem to have much in the way of back-up.

Career best scores for Mutizwa and Nyamuzinga, wickets for Hondo and the rest of the bowlers with Masakadza and Maruma still to strengthen the bowling, it would seem that if Zim cricket is to try and rebuild, especially to outside eyes, then the four sides need to be far more balanced than they are at the moment.