Manicaland seconds came down to earth last Sunday with a six-wicket thrashing from Kwekwe Sports Club (Midlands) at Mutare Sports Club. Missing their captain and a few talented schoolboys on Christmas leave, Manicaland looked title no-hopers rather than title favourites.

Sent in to bat on an underdone pitch, the home side stumbled to 240 for five in their 50 overs. Top scoring with 60 not-out was Manicaland debutante Jan Oosterhuisen. 22-year-old son of ex-Makoni leg-spinner Jan Oosterhuisen senior, he threatened to destroy the Midlands attack with a series of early sixes but grew curiously watchful the longer he batted. A former Zimbabwe Under-19 and Harare Sports Club player who divides his time between Scotland and the family Halfway House farm, he and his older brother plan to play regularly for Manicaland in future.

Schoolboys Mike Robinson and Keegan Taylor both scored 34, including one straight drive by Taylor into the armpit of diving umpire Alan Walsh. Other batsmen to make starts were James Cripps (23), Sheth Naeem (25) and Don Percival (28 not out).

Assuming they had scored enough on an outfield resembling the short-rough on nearby Hillside golf course, Manicaland did little to protect their position. Using a Z$7000 (US$23) Kookaburra `Turf' ball they bowled like millionaires, gifting Kwekwe a never-ending supply of long-hops, full-tosses and wides. Naeem conceded nine an over whilst Taylor, Tafadzwa and Wright each went for six.

Particularly appreciative of this unexpected happy hour was Craig Grant who plundered 134 (16 fours, two sixes) before literally collapsing from over-indulgence. Helped by eccentric field settings from stand-in skipper Dave Wright, Grant spent the afternoon flicking the ball over the in-field to the vacant boundaries. Also feeding at the trough was Kwekwe captain correspondent Ken Connelly. Hitting a characteristic in-your-face 48 he perished finally to a cross-bat swipe to yet another free-lunch delivery. Inexplicably Wright waited until the 31st over to introduce Oosterhuisen whose spell of 8-0-26-2 came too late to save the Manicas.

The Manicaland first-team game against Bulawayo Sports Club due to be played at OH in Harare was called off because BSC failed to arrive. Air Zimbabwe have withdrawn a number of inter-city flights, making it impossible to fly to cricket games at weekends. It will be interesting to see if the modern pampered cricketers will rough it on the overnight train in future.

It has been confirmed that Manicaland's Justin Lewis has finally been drafted into the Zimbabwe Under-19 side to tour New Zealand. He may find a heavy workload awaits him - most reports indicate he will be the best bowler in the party. As a personable and modest cricketer, this overdue selection corrects a glaring injustice.

It has also been confirmed that Test umpire Kevan Barbour has been appointed ZCU Manicaland Cricket Administrator. A long-time resident of Mutare with over 20 years of part-time cricket and hockey administration, he assumes this new post at a critical stage of Zimbabwe's cricket history.

© Cricinfo