The new-look Logan Cup competition starts in Zimbabwe tomorrow, Friday 11 October – four teams, playing each other both home and away for the first time. Champions Mashonaland visit Mutare to play Manicaland, while Midlands travel to Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo to take on Matabeleland.

On paper, the odds favour the visiting teams. Mashonaland include ten international players, plus young pace bowler Alfred Mbwembwe. It had been intended to include Waddington Mwayenga, who is obviously considered a player of great potential for the future, but St John's College would not release him, or Andrew Durham or Michael Brundle for the Mashonaland B team, so last-minute changes were needed. Andy Blignaut returns after missing a season for various reasons, and will be eager to stake a claim for a return to international cricket against Pakistan, who arrive in Zimbabwe at the end of the month.

MASHONALAND

Blignaut, along with Gus Mackay, now also general manager of the Mashonaland Cricket Association, and Mbwembwe, will form Mashonaland's pace attack, which is not as threatening as it was two years ago when they had Eddo Brandes and Bryan Strang, with Brighton Watambwa opening for Mashonaland A. Craig Evans will back them up with medium-pace, while captain Brian Murphy will handle the spin (leg), along with Grant Flower (left-arm) and Trevor Gripper (off-spin).

Mashonaland are strongest in batting, where their top order of Dion Ebrahim, Trevor Gripper, Stuart Carlisle and the Flower brothers is the national Test team's batting line-up with the exception of Alistair Campbell, who has been posted to Manicaland. In his place, however, is Craig Evans, who is far more likely to score heavily at Logan Cup level than Campbell, whose Logan Cup batting average over nine seasons is an astonishingly low 24. Even Mackay, likely to come in at ten, has a first-class century to his credit, scored against Manicaland last season, while Murphy is in brilliant form with the bat for his club Universals, having two national league centuries to his credit, including 174 last weekend.

MANICALAND

Manicaland will rue their luck in missing all-rounder Guy Whittall for this important match; Whittall damaged a calf muscle in league last weekend, but hopes to be fit for Manicaland's second match. They will be captained by Henry Olonga, one of several Mashonaland players to be spread around the country by the Zimbabwe Cricket Union in an effort to even up the competition and raise standards outside the capital. He will lead the pace attack, backed up by Academy graduates Leon Soma and Justin Lewis, and also Gary Brent, who has been the backbone of Manicaland's bowling in the past but has struggled for form this season. Off-spinning all-rounder Richie Sims leads the spin department, while Alistair Campbell will probably bowl quite a few off-breaks from the other end.

Manicaland look much more fragile in their batting. So often in the past, if opener and wicket-keeper Neil Ferreira has failed, the whole team has struggled. In his three seasons with Manicaland, Ferreira has scored six centuries and averaged 55 in 14 matches. He has a massive heart and determination to match, but some critics feel that he does not have the natural ability to score as heavily at the top level. It may be significant that his one mediocre batting season occurred two years ago, the only season of the three when the national players were available throughout, and he also struggled on Zimbabwe A's tour of Sri Lanka – as did many others. This is an important season for Ferreira to prove to his critics that he can score big runs against Zimbabwe's international bowlers.

The rest of Manicaland's batting has been borrowed from Mashonaland – Lance Malloch-Brown, Campbell, Stuart Matsikenyeri and Guy Croxford are all Mashonaland players lent to the province. Campbell has two scores of 93 in club cricket for Mutare Sports Club to his credit since his return from Sri Lanka and may be in the mood to improve on his disappointing Logan Cup record, if he will rise to the challenge of playing for the outsiders against the champions. Manicaland will be wise to bat him as high in the order as possible, because his record is best at the top.

RECENT TEAM RECORDS

Manicaland actually have a surprisingly good record against Mashonaland in their three years at first-class level. In 1999/2000 the teams drew their inaugural match in Mutare, thanks to some rainy weather. Manicaland actually topped the Logan Cup log during that season, but the regulations there required them to play a final against Mashonaland, who finished second. They were even denied home advantage, as it had been decreed that the final should be played at Harare Sports Club. Their team was seriously weakened due to the start of farm invasions, while Mashonaland were strengthened by the return of some of their international players, and Manicaland lost heavily.

In the past two seasons, though, there have been two fascinating matches between the sides. In 2001/02, at Harare Sports Club, Manicaland set Mashonaland 115 to win and had them reeling at 68 for seven at one stage. Still at the crease, though, was that battler Paul Strang, and he, with help from Don Campbell, took Mashonaland through to a thrilling two-wicket victory.

Then last year came one of the most remarkable matches in Zimbabwe's cricketing history, when Manicaland, as admitted by their current general manager Kevan Barbour who umpired in that match, led Mashonaland off the hook. Guy Whittall scored 247 out of 513, and Mashonaland, so often poor starters in a match, replied with 226 and were forced to follow on almost 300 behind. At this point it seems Manicaland relaxed a little, and Craig Evans with 210 led a magnificent fightback, with fifties from Darlington Matambanadzo, Don Campbell and Gus Mackay. Evans then took six wickets to complete a great all-round performance as Manicaland, set 220 to win which they had not expected, were rolled for 146 after the opening pair put on 79.

So Manicaland wasted their great chance, and they will be unlikely to get one as good again, barring some superb individual performance – and Whittall is not fit to do it this time. Mashonaland have actually not been beaten in any first-class match since 1995/96, seven years ago, when Matabeleland did it. They do have a tendency to underperform in the first innings, though, which many have put down to overconfidence, and Manicaland's first-innings performance will be crucial.

MATABELELAND

Three first-class matches between Matabeleland and Midlands have brought two victories to the smaller province and only one to Matabeleland, who have struggled to hold on to their best players in recent years. Only two seasons ago they had an embarrassment of riches in the pace bowling department, with Heath Streak, Pommie Mbangwa, Mluleki Nkala, Henry Olonga and John Rennie all in the province, but various absences even then prevented them from using their strongest side.

Since then Olonga has moved to Harare, where he now lives despite his playing for Manicaland, and Rennie has faded out for business and family reasons. Streak will miss the rest of the year after his car accident in Sri Lanka, but Mbangwa will play and captain the side. Nkala is back after a second year at the Academy, but in his two years there he did not represent them in a single Logan Cup match – firstly because he was on national team duty in the West Indies and last season through injury. Hopefully he is now fit and able to challenge for an international berth again.

Several other leading players from last season are also missing. Last year's captain was Colin Williams, aged 40, brought in to guide a young team, and he has not been included again. Two players, off-spinning all-rounder Mecury Kenny and wicket-keeper/batsman Stuart Walker, are believed to have emigrated, to South Africa and England respectively. Batsman Mark McKillop is on business in South Africa, although he may be back for next weekend, while Mathew Townshend, who had been struggling with a back injury, finally wrote off his chances by hurting himself in a car accident last weekend. In addition their star young batsman Greg Strydom broke a bone in his ankle during an early league match and will not play again until next year.

On the credit side, Mark Vermeulen returns to the province from Mashonaland. He is a big scorer at Logan Cup level, but would probably have to tighten up his technique, footwork and improve his running between wickets to succeed in international cricket. Barney Rogers and Andre Hoffman are two recent Academy graduates to be posted to Bulawayo, and both could be valuable assets, especially in the batting. These two and Gavin Ewing, once rejected by the Academy for lack of fitness, are all fine batsmen who are also more than useful bowlers. The batting will probably be opened by two genuine Matabele Academy graduates in `Chappie' Coventry and Wisdom Siziba.

Jordane Nicolle was the Academy's best bowler last season, and he is alsp a Matabele born and bred. He may well prove the spearhead of the pace attack, with Mbangwa the steady influence, Nkala hopefully fit again, and Hoffman capable of real hostility when his back and his mood allow him. Keith Dabengwa is the left-arm spinner and a useful batsman who has so far underachieved, while there are three off-spinners in Ewing, Rogers and Vermeulen.

MIDLANDS

Midlands, however, look a very powerful unit and could well pose a threat to Mashonaland later this season. They may not have the experience of Mashonaland, but they have much useful promise. With Campbell Macmillan, easily capable of scoring a fifty, at number eleven they have unmatched depth in batting. Their most prolific batsman is Doug Marillier, who seems to have a genuine rivalry with his good friend Vermeulen; so often when they oppose each other both make big hundreds.

All-rounder Dirk Viljoen captains the side, a leading performer at Logan Cup level in both batting and bowling, although only one century in eight seasons does his ability little credit. Travis Friend has two Logan Cup centuries to his credit, although he has yet to make an impact with the ball. Sean Ervine is another who was earmarked two years ago for a great future, but has yet to turn potential into solid achievement. This could well be his year. Former Academy graduates Terry Duffin and Vusi Sibanda will probably open the batting, solid performers with their best no doubt still ahead of them. Midlands have been renowned for top-order failures in the past, so they will seek to put that behind them.

One surprise is in the wicket-keeping department. Colin Delport, regular keeper for the past two seasons, moved down to the second team when Don Campbell came down from Harare as provincial coach, but surprisingly it is Alester Maregwede, also moving in from the capital, who has been named as wicket-keeper. It appears that this season it is the national selectors rather than the provinces who select the provincial teams, a fact which has annoyed some of the provinces somewhat, and they have preferred Maregwede as one for the future, although his keeping is not as polished as that of Campbell.

Campbell will play as a batsman, where he displays none of the flair of his elder brother Alistair, but actually has a better Logan Cup record and has played some invaluable fighting innings for his former province Mashonaland over the years. One omission from the Midlands side is Craig Wishart, who has a shoulder injury. Another surprise is that James Crawford, the Cheshire player who made such an impact for Midlands last season, finds himself in the B team; this apparently was a decision by the ZCU selectors. David Mutendera, in poor bowling form at present, is also in Midlands B.

In Macmillan and Friend Manicaland have a quality new-ball attack, with Ervine's seamers to back them up; Innocent Chinyoka is also a useful medium-pacer, as well as being a far better batsman than his expected number ten position indicates, and a brilliant fielder in the gully area in particular. Left-arm spinner Raymond Price has a remarkable Logan Cup record for Midlands of 64 wickets at 18 in just 12 matches, mostly at home, but Queens is often conducive to spin as well. Viljoen and Marillier are also spinners (left-arm and off) who can expect to do quite a bit of work.

RECENT TEAM RECORDS

The teams first met at first-class level in 1999/2000, when both were weak and the rivalry between Marillier and Vermeulen dominated the game, played at Kwekwe. For Midlands Marillier scored 133 out of 204 and Vermeulen replied with 197 out of 292, both around two-thirds of the entire innings total. Matabeleland therefore led on first innings but were dismissed for 180 in the final innings in an exciting finish, Midlands winning by 14 runs.

The following year saw Matabeleland win another fairly close contest at Bulawayo Athletic Club. Marillier scored 100, but Vermeulen made it 180, and that proved decisive. In the second innings left-arm spinners Ian Engelbrecht (now emigrated) and Price both took cheap wickets, but Matabeleland this time chased 117 successfully, if winning by only four wickets in the end.

Last year, with Vermeulen playing for Mashonaland A and Marillier (and Price) on national duty, Midlands won more decisively, in Bulawayo again, by nine wickets. Siziba scored his maiden century but had little support, and eight wickets fell surprisingly to the medium-pace of John Vaughan-Davies, now captain of Midlands second team.

Two good games are in prospect over the next four days, if the weather permits. There has been some unseasonal heavy rain over the past few days in parts of Zimbabwe, but early in the season the grounds can soak up a lot and the new covers in Mutare should help to ensure that not too much time is lost if it does rain again.

Public support remains to be seen. Mutare has always had a good record for promoting their matches, but Bulawayo games have often been played in front of empty stands. A bit more publicity would not go amiss for, with the international players available this season, the cricket will be of better quality than ever before.

The nominated teams are as follows:

Mashonaland: Dion Ebrahim, Trevor Gripper, Stuart Carlisle, Andy Flower, Grant Flower, Craig Evans, Andy Blignaut, +Tatenda Taibu, *Brian Murphy, Gus Mackay, Alfred Mbwembwe.

Manicaland: +Neil Ferreira, Lance Malloch-Brown, Alistair Campbell, Stuart Matsikenyeri, Guy Croxford, Richie Sims, Gary Brent, Andre Soma, Leon Soma, *Henry Olonga, Justin Lewis.

Matabeleland: Charles Coventry, +Wisdom Siziba, Mark Vermeulen, Gavin Rennie, Barney Rogers, Andre Hoffman, Gavin Ewing, Mluleki Nkala, Keith Dabengwa, *Pommie Mbangwa, Jordane Nicolle.

Midlands: Terry Duffin, Vusi Sibanda, Doug Marillier, *Dirk Viljoen, Sean Ervine, Travis Friend, +Alester Maregwede, Don Campbell, Raymond Price, Innocent Chinyoka, Campbell Macmillan.

B DIVISION TEAMS

Mashonaland B team will play Manicaland B at Harare Sports Club, while Midlands B play Matabeleland B at Kwekwe Sports Club. Masvingo have a bye before making their debut as a province.

Mashonaland B: Neeten Chouhan, Ishmael Senzere, Ryan Butterworth, Elton Chigumbura, Stephen Marillier, *Darlington Matambanadzo, Tafadzwa Mufambisi, +Glenn Goosen, Prosper Utseya, Nyasha Chari, Taona Panyangara.

Manicaland B: *Kingsley Went, Andre Neethling, Andrew Durham, Naeem Sheth, Kudzai Taibu, Shepherd Makunura, Glen Barrett, +Adiel Kugotsi, Paxton Chatora, Gerald Makota, Keegan Taylor.

Matabeleland B: *Ryan King, Clement Mahachi, Neil van Rensburg, Jason Hitz, +Romeo Kasawaya, Paul Strang, Piet Rinke, Steven Brown, Michael Springer, Norman Mukondiwa, Tawanda Mupariwa.

Midlands B: Luther Mutyambizi, Adam Chifo, James Cornford, *John Vaughan-Davies, +Colin Delport, Innocent Chikunya, Ryan Bennett, David Mutendera, Admire Marodza, Ian Coulson, Ed Rainsford.

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