Schools cricket has resumed in the province after the Christmas break. In their first round of matches Hillcrest College defeated Mutare Boys High at all age group levels. Although Boys High were well beaten, there is plenty of evidence that cricket is being played and enjoyed by pupils of this former colonial-era cricket powerhouse. Zimbabwe Cricket Union coaches have targeted the school for development. Unfortunately the old cricket fields are overgrown so all games are played away and practices are conducted at Mutare Sports Club.

Last Saturday Hillcrest had a tougher test against Harare's Eaglesvale High School with victories only for the Firsts, Under-15s and Under-14s. The first team also narrowly defeated Casuals Cricket Club by 7 runs in a 35-over local league match on Sunday. Managing only 127 all out (Mike Robinson 31; Jon Brent 2/17, Gary Knoll 3/21) the schoolboys restricted the old men to 120 in reply. Keegan Taylor took three for 24, Tina Mawoyo two for 7 and Andre Soma two for 12 - including former national player Kevin Walton whose splattered stumps on 18 bore testimony to a losing battle with Father Time. Vince Lewis (24) and Brent (33) took the game closer than expected, but the veterans ran out deserved losers after an 11th-wicket capitulation from captain Billy Taylor.

Tina Mawoyo had a successful tour as captain of the Zimbabwe Under-16 team to East London in mid December last year. His side reached the semi-finals of the South African inter-provincial tournament. They started with an eight-wicket win over NorthWest and followed up with seven-wicket wins against Northern Province and Boland. A 46-run win over South African Country Districts projected them into the semi-finals where they lost a nail-biter to Western Province by 9 runs. Tina scored 35 against Northerns and 49 against Boland.

Before the tour got under way the Under-16s had a warm-up game against the Zimbabwe Under-19s (prior to their tour to New Zealand for the World Under-19 tournament). To the embarrassment of all, the juniors thrashed the seniors by 76 runs. This is the side that chose not to select Manicaland seamer Justin Lewis - reportedly manager Steve Rhodes's first choice. To make matters worse they called him up as a late inclusion - got him to pack and drive to Harare - only to send him home from the airport after further `consideration'. The agenda-driven policies of Zimbabwe cricket will continue to throw up casualties like Lewis so long as non-cricket priorities are used for team selections.

Manicaland cricket has found a valuable new sponsor in Mr. Exhaust/Mr. Tyre whose Mutare Manager Shaun Buckley has put up half the cost of the newly acquired Z$1 million (U.S.$6240) pitch covers for Mutare Sports Club. An ex-seventies first-team player at Mutare Boys High himself, he recently emigrated back to his old home town from South Africa.

More worrying is the news that former Manicaland player Dave `Gonzo' Timms has been sending e-mails to friends in Nyazura requesting information on farm sales as he is considering a return from America.

This Sunday sees a top-of-the-table clash between Manicaland and joint leaders Takashinga at Mutare Sports Club. Places in the side will be hard to come by as Test stars Flower, Campbell and Whittall are all playing.

© Cricinfo