ACS Overseas First-Class Annual 2014

Afghanistan visited Zimbabwe during the 2014 ‘off’ season for two first-class matches against Zimbabwe A. These were evenly contested and resulted in a win apiece. Earlier, in the 2013 season, a single game between a Zimbabwe ‘Select’ XI (really not far short of the Test side) and a fairly strong Australia A side had resulted in a clear, but not overwhelming, win for the latter. All in all, the evidence suggests that in terms of playing standards Zimbabwe, and presumably Bangladesh, occupy an awkward intermediate place. It is undeniable that there is a gulf between them and even the weakest of the traditional Test nations; yet they seem also to be a notch above the leading ICC affiliates and associates that contest the Intercontinental Cup. In these circumstances, the verdict has to be that their claim on Test status is marginal; maybe it is no longer the embarrassment that it was a decade or so ago, but it is still very far from being established. Generating a Test side that unquestionably justifies its status will be no easy task, but a more active Test programme would be a useful first step. Zimbabwe’s domestic first-class competition, the Logan Cup, was played, as in 2012/13, on a home-and-away league basis, without a final. But this bare statement makes it sound like business as usual; whereas the truth is that the competition was severely disrupted because of Zimbabwe Cricket’s lack of funds, which meant that players’ wages were late when they were paid at all (although a cynic might observe that this too is ‘business as usual’ in Zimbabwe). The consequence was that the competition started late, in early December; stalled in mid-December when two matches failed even to start (and incidentally were treated as abandonments rather than being replayed); and did not resume until the end of February. After all this, Matabeleland Tuskers won comfortably with six victories in the seven matches played (their eighth fixture was one of the abandonments). This was Matabeleland’s fourth consecutive title in a sequence going back to 2010/11. Mashonaland Eagles recovered from the winless season of 2012/13 to finish second, with four victories. At the other end of the table, perpetual whipping-boys Southern Rocks, after glimpsing better form in 2012/13, endured a wretched season: their eight fixtures resulted in five defeats, a losing draw, a ‘no-decision’ and an abandonment. Mashonaland could claim the two leading run-scorers of the 2013/14 season: Regis Chakabva with 588 at 84.00, closely followed by Mark Vermeulen with 580 at 64.44. These were the only two to exceed 500, although mention should be made of the remarkable average of 147.00 achieved by national captain Brendan Taylor (Mid West Rhinos) in his three appearances, including three hundreds and a fifty in his four visits to the crease. John Nyumbu (Matabeleland, off-breaks) and Donald Tiripano (Mountaineers, right arm fast-medium) headed the bowlers with 34 wickets apiece at 19.14 and 22.08 respectively. (JCB) Castle Logan Cup 2013/14: Final table P W WLF L LWF DWF DLF ND A Pts 7 6 0 1 4 3 2 2 1 Mountaineers 8 5 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 45 2 Mashonaland Eagles 8 4 0 2 0 1 0 0 1 33 3 Mid West Rhinos 8 3 0 2 1 0 1 0 1 26 4 Matabeleland Tuskers 8 1 1 5 0 1 0 0 0 16 5 Southern Rocks 8 0 0 4 1 0 1 1 1 7 Abandoned Matches Mid West Rhinos v Southern Rocks, Kwekwe Sports Club, Kwekwe, December 17, 18, 19, 20, 2013. Financial problems. Mountaineers v Mashonaland Eagles, Mutare Sports Club, Mutare, December 17, 18, 19, 20, 2013. Financial problems. 626 Zimbabwe in 2013/14