The first half of the Logan Cup season is over, and a number of players who have shown top form have played themselves into the national Test squad: Mark Vermeulen, Blessing Mahwire, Campbell Macmillan, Stuart Matsikenyeri, Sean Ervine, Richie Sims and Gavin Ewing. Congratulations to them all; Vermeulen has played in one one-day international and Ervine in eight, but none have yet played in a Test match.

CONTENTS

• LOGAN CUP:
  • Division A:
    Mashonaland v Midlands, scorecard and reports
    Matabeleland v Manicaland, scorecard and reports

  • Division B:
    Masvingo v Mashonaland B, scorecard
    Midlands B v Manicaland B, scorecard
• Interviews:
  Alistair Campbell - captain again
  Andy Blignaut - back to the spotlight
  Andy Flower - a season with Essex
  
• 10 Years on: Andy Flower's memories of Zimbabwe's first Test matches
• Letters

If selected, they will of course find there is a tremendous and unavoidable gap between Logan Cup and Test cricket. The Logan Cup matches were marked by fast, high scoring by the batsmen on fine batting pitches; bowlers for the most part struggled. But, as Heath Streak has said, this is probably the best possible scenario regarding our first-class competition. Batsmen get the best possible opportunity to play long innings, while bowlers will have to scratch their heads and get down to some really hard work to tighten up and improve their game if they are to enjoy any success in the future.

It's a hard game for them, but they will never elevate themselves to Test-match standard by taking easy wickets on seamer-friendly tracks, because that sort of pitch is rarely seen in Test cricket. When the going is tough, as it has been for most of our bowlers, seamers especially, the tough get going. When the second half of the programme takes place next April, perhaps we will see a more even contest - not because the conditions have changed, but because the bowlers will have changed, for the better.

Here are the Logan Cup logs to date. Mashonaland and Midlands paid heavy penalties for their poor over rates in their recent match. Match points are 12 for a victory and 3 for a draw.

A DIVISION
                                      Match    Bonus   Penalty
                    P    W    L    D   pts    Bat Bowl   pts   TOTAL
Mashonaland         3    2    -    1    27    12    9    5      43
Manicaland          3    1    1    1    15     8   11    0.5    33.5
Matabeleland        3    1    2    -    12     9    6    2      25
Midlands            3    -    1    2     6     9   10    9.5    15.5


B DIVISION
                                      Match    Bonus   Penalty
                    P    W    L    D   pts    Bat Bowl   pts   TOTAL
Mashonaland B       3    2    -    1    27     8   11    0      46
Manicaland B        3    1    1    1    15    10   10    0      35
Matabeleland B      2    1    1    -    12     4    8    0      24
Masvingo            2    -    -    2     6     7    7    4.5    15.5
Midlands            2    -    2    -     0     4    2    0       6

The Pakistanis are coming - but so are the rains. There have been widespread rains in Zimbabwe this week, longer in duration that is usual for this time of year. In October and November rains tend to be in short, sharp bursts rather than the prolonged rains that we have had. Hopefully the rain, much needed, will not interfere too much with the cricket, but that is always a risk that needs to be taken when teams visit Zimbabwe at this time of year. Some years, in January and February especially, cricket can be almost impossible, and we were indeed fortunate when Pakistan first visited us in 1994/95 that there was little rain in February to spoil a memorable series.

Is there an award for the Selfish Player of the Week? Jacques Kallis, during South Africa's mauling of hapless Bangladesh in the Second Test at Potchefstroom, was caught at the wicket fairly early on, off his glove. He refused to walk and was given not out. He went on to collect another Test century.

This is at least the second Test century Mr Kallis has recorded after being fairly dismissed but mistakenly allowed to stay by the umpire. He did the same against Zimbabwe in Harare last year.

Players give various excuses for not walking. There are those who claim it is always the umpire's decision and they will abide by it - but should there be an umpiring error against them they will make their disapproval plain. Some say that if they walk it will be to the detriment of their team, which will suffer, and I imagine this to be a common excuse among Zimbabwe players, who often need all the help they can get. Some may say their place in the team is in jeopardy and by staying and taking another chance to play a major innings they can make it more secure.

So what excuse would Mr Kallis give, if so required, for his failure to walk? His team was in a very strong position, and his own place in it is quite secure. He robbed the opposition of a valuable wicket they had fairly earned, as he did against Zimbabwe last year.

And, as was also the case against Zimbabwe, he robbed his own team-mates as well. Ashwell Prince and Martin van Jaarsveld, both at the start of their Test careers, would have benefited greatly had they been able to come in to bat with the opportunity to play a major innings. Instead, Kallis shared a huge stand with Gary Kirsten, and these two youngsters did not get a chance to bat until a declaration was imminent and they had to look to score quickly. The aforementioned Mr Kallis's decision to hog the crease and gorge himself against the easiest bowling available in Test cricket robbed the two youngsters of the chance to gain vital experience.

Shame on you, Jacques Kallis! If that was not pure selfishness, then what other justifiable reason could you give for your refusal to walk when you knew you were out? One of the commentators described it as unprofessional behaviour in such circumstances. To add to the crime, this innings helped Kallis to win the Man of the Match and Man of the Series award, so obviously the adjudicators did not consider the moral element to be of any importance.

The message coming across is that selfish behaviour pays very well. If I were an international umpire, I would be very eager to put my finger up against Mr Kallis, were I given half a chance. But then I probably would not last very long. Unlike certain players whose motto in life seems to be to look out for number one to the exclusion of all others.

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