This week’s Logan Cup matches: (Tuesday 19 to Friday 22 February)
At Mutare Sports Club: Mountaineers v Matabeleland Tuskers
At Masvingo Sports Club: Southern Rocks v Mashonaland Eagles
Starting time: 1000 hours


The Logan Cup champions this season will be either Matabeleland Tuskers or Mountaineers. 

With six matches gone and two to go, Matabeleland Tuskers have five victories and 35 points, while Mountaineers have four wins and 28 points.

Intriguingly, these two teams meet at Mutare Sports Club this week.  If Matabeleland Tuskers win, they will clinch the Logan Cup, while a draw would also make them likely, although not certain, champions.  If Mountaineers win, and also take the first-innings point, the two teams will go into the final round level on points, Matabeleland Tuskers to play Southern Rocks and Mountaineers Mashonaland Eagles – the two weakest teams in the competition.

Both are missing their top players who are away on the West Indies tour.

Mountaineers have lost Hamilton Masakadza, Tinotenda Mawoyo, Tendai Chatara and Natsai M’shangwe. Matabeleland Tuskers are without two of their four-pronged pace attack in Keegan Meth and Christopher Mpofu, and also Craig Ervine, while Sean Ervine is with the Indian Premier League. 

Matabeleland Tuskers have the stronger reserves, though, as they showed when they overwhelmed the even more seriously depleted Mid-West Rhinos by an innings last week, and they will be favourites in this match.  But it will be hard fought, as matches between these two invariably are since the Logan Cup final two years ago, when Mountaineers headed the table by a long way, only to go down in the now discontinued final between first and second placed teams.

The key figures will perhaps be Matabeleland Tuskers’ two remaining pacemen: Glenn Querl and Njabulo Ncube, both of whom may well also have gone to the West Indies.  If the Mountaineers batsmen can see off those two, they will find the back-up bowlers easier to handle. 

Matabeleland Tuskers have most of their main batsmen still available, though, and it will be interesting to see how the new Mountaineers off-spin bowler, Tafadzwa Mufudza, manages the challenge.

The two bottom sides, Southern Rocks and Mashonaland Eagles, play each other in Masvingo, and this should also be an interesting match, especially as the home side gained their first-ever Logan Cup victory against the same opposition in Harare at the start of the season.  Both teams will be desperate for a victory, but Mashonaland Eagles probably have more depth – if they can play up to it.

LOGAN CUP: MATABELELAND TUSKERS VERSUS MID-WEST RHINOS

Day Four at Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo, Friday 08 February, 2013
Result: Matabeleland Tuskers (406/9 dec) beat Mid-West Rhinos (179 & 123) by an innings and 104 runs

Rhinos produced a spectacular batting collapse to hand Tuskers victory by an innings and 104 runs on the final day of their Logan Cup match at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo.

Having lost close to a day and a half due to rain, a draw seemed the obvious outcome going into day four.

Resuming on 143 for five overnight, Rhinos were firmly on the back foot as they seemed more worried about Glen Querl’s bowling action than occupying the crease. They rapidly lost their remaining five wickets for 36 runs.

There was a delay to the follow-on as the Rhinos refused to face up to Querl, claiming his action was in violation of the laws of the gentlemen’s game.

After much deliberation, play got underway and Querl was soon amongst the wickets. Strike partner Njabulo Ncube picked up one wicket before pulling up with a suspected hamstring injury. Bradley Staddon took up the attack and picked up three quick wickets, leaving the visitors facing straight down the barrel.

Nathan Mayavo (37) and Simon Mugava (28) put on 59 for the seventh wicket before John Nyumbu removed both of them in quick succession. The tail showed some resistance, but a Tuskers’ victory was inevitable.

Mid-West Rhinos were eventually all out for 123 runs, to hand Tuskers victory by an innings and 104 runs.

LOGAN CUP: MATABELELAND TUSKERS VERSUS MID-WEST RHINOS

Day Three at Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo, Thursday 07 February, 2013
End of day: Matabeleland Tuskers (406/9 dec) vs Mid-West Rhinos (143/5)

Glen Querl took two wickets off two balls to put Tuskers in charge of the
rain-affected Logan Cup match against the Mid-West Rhinos, at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo.

However, any ideas the home side had of driving home the advantage were stopped dead by the rain which brought the third day proceedings to an end 40 overs earlier.

Resuming on the overnight knock of 78, Sean Williams fell short of a deserved ton when he lost patience and chased a wide Mike Chinouya delivery to be snapped up by the wicket-keeper for 87. Glenn Querl continued on his merry way and was not out on 54 when the home side eventually declared on 409 runs for nine wickets.

Njabulo Ncube, relishing the new ball with the usual suspects away on national duty, picked up the first three Rhinos wickets to fall.  Mark Vermeulen (16), Jaik Mickleburgh (16) and Peter Moore all fell to the burly speedstar. 

Just as the Rhinos seemed to be knuckling down, along came Querl to remove Steve Trenchard (66) and to trap Simon Mugava in front with the very next delivery.

Graeme Cremer was the not out batsman on 15. The visitors were precariously placed on 143 runs for five wickets as the heavens opened up and the covers were deployed.

Play will resume at 0930 hours tomorrow – weather and light permitting – with a draw the most likely result.

LOGAN CUP: MATABELELAND TUSKERS VERSUS MID-WEST RHINOS

Day Two at Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo, Wednesday 06 February, 2013
Matabeleland Tuskers (352/5) vs Mid-West Rhinos

After losing the entire first day’s play to the rain, Rhinos won the toss and had no hesitation asking the Tuskers to bat, in their Logan Cup match at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo.

With the moist weather around and one of the more impressive seam attacks going around it appeared as though the home side would be under severe pressure. 

Terrence Duffin and fellow opener Brian Chari did not seem too bothered, the former first scoring shots – three fours down the ground. However, both batsmen fell softly: Duffin (40) played a mistimed pull to mid-wicket and Chari (20) snapped up at short cover.

New boy Bilal Shafayat (114) and Keith Dabengwa (49) continued the good work and took Tuskers past 200.

Tuskers continued to drive home the good start with Sean Williams celebrating his Test call up, going past 50 in fine style.  At the close he was unbeaten on 78, getting good support from Glen Querl who was also unbeaten on 28.

The other batsman out was skipper Gavin Ewing, who was trapped in front without bothering the scorers.

At the end of a marathon day’s play, Tuskers were in the pound seats with 352 runs for the loss of five wickets.

The big question now is how long Tuskers will bat before a declaration. This will go a long way to show if they are playing for a draw or trying for a victory.

Play will resume at 0930 hours tomorrow.