The Logan Cup competition for this season would be very exciting, were it not for the fact that Mashonaland are once again almost certain to win. The other three teams are very evenly matched; Midlands looked the strongest of the three at the start of the season but have not yet lived up to their potential, while Manicaland, perhaps the weakest on paper, secured a narrow victory over Midlands last weekend.

The table, compiled by ZCU administration manager Ian Robinson, is produced below. 12 points are awarded for a win and 3 for a draw.

                                          Bonus   Penalty
                    P    W    L    D    Bat  Bowl   Pts   TOTAL
Mashonaland         2    2    -    -     8     7    0.5    38.5
Manicaland          2    1    1    -     5     5    2      20
Midlands            2    -    1    1     5     7    0.5    14.5
Matabeleland        2    -    1    1     4     7    0.5    13.5

This weekend sees the third round out of six; the competition will be completed after the World Cup in April. Mashonaland play Midlands at home, while Manicaland travel to Bulawayo to play Matabeleland.

Last year Midlands would have won the Logan Cup had not an over-generous declaration by Mashonaland A handed the senior Mashonaland side victory almost on a plate, an event that still rankles in Kwekwe. However, in their match against Mashonaland they were heavily defeated by 248 runs at Harare Sports Club. Craig Evans scored 163 and the all-round strength of the champions, even without their Test players, was too great for Midlands.

Midlands have in fact lost all three of their matches against Mashonaland of first-class status heavily, with last year's actually being the smallest margin of defeat. Their ultimate humiliation came in the first encounter on a rogue pitch at Harare Sports Club in 1999/2000, when Gus Mackay took an astounding 11 wickets for just 35 runs and they were bowled out for 31 and 56. The strip at headquarters is now much more in favour of the batsman, so such an event is unlikely to recur, but perhaps it is realistic to say that, barring unusual happenings, the best Midlands can hope for is a draw, or at least a smaller margin of defeat than before.

Key players for Midlands are all-rounder Doug Marillier and left-arm spinner Raymond Price, who will hope the pitch will give him the same help as it gave spinners in the Mashonaland-Matabeleland match. Campbell Macmillan will also be looking to impress the selectors after his fin all-round performance against Manicaland. But the loss of captain Dirk Viljoen and all-rounder Travis Friend through injury is yet another example of how Lady Luck seems to have a special hatred for the underdog. No doubt they will also lose the toss . . .

Mashonaland for their part have dropped Stuart Carlisle, out of form, which makes it unlikely that he will be selected against Pakistan, and surely not as captain in place of the injured Heath Streak. He is replaced by Darlington Matambanadzo, who has been in fine form for the Mashonaland B side and has thoroughly earned his promotion. With the Flower brothers and Craig Evans in the middle order, Mashonaland have a batting line-up that overawes the opposition. In the past two seasons, though, they have frequently begun a match feebly, perhaps through complacency, only to recover in the second innings. It could recur again, although this season they have got on top of the opposition right from the start and never relaxed.

In Bulawayo the match should be much closer. Since Manicaland won first-class status in 1999/2000, the teams have met three times, with two draws and Manicaland winning the only match to produce a definite result, interestingly enough at a neutral venue in Harare in that first season. Last season rain in Mutare helped Matabeleland to avoid defeat after being forced to follow on. Neil Ferreira (210) and Paul Strang (154) put Manicaland in a dominant position, and both are playing again this year.

Ferreira especially will be looking for a big score after struggling so far this season. Manicaland do not have a daunting bowling attack, but achieved their success against Midlands last weekend through the virtues of line and length. Pommie Mbangwa, hopefully fit again, can do the same for Matabeleland, who strengthen their pace attack by promoting Piet Rinke, recently of the CFX Academy, in place of spinner Keith Dabengwa, who is twelfth man. Rinke took 15 wickets with his seamers in his team's defeat by Mashonaland B last weekend.

With the bat Matabeleland still miss their star player Greg Strydom with an ankle injury and are over-reliant on their opening pair of Gavin Rennie and Mark Vermeulen. The middle order is talented but not yet likely to produce centuries. For the consistent Barney Rogers, very much in the eye of the selectors, there could be nothing better than a maiden first-class century this weekend. This match at least should be engrossing.

The nominated teams are as follows:

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

Midlands: Terry Duffin, Vusi Sibanda, *Doug Marillier, Craig Wishart, Sean Ervine, David Mutendera, +Alester Maregwede, Don Campbell, Raymond Price, Innocent Chinyoka, Campbell Macmillan.

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

Manicaland: +Neil Ferreira, Richie Sims, Alistair Campbell, Guy Whittall, Stuart Matsikenyeri, Guy Croxford, Blessing Mahwire, Paul Strang, Gary Brent, Kingsley Went, *Henry Olonga.

B DIVISION TEAMS

Matches: