Winter in Zimbabwe

• the Matabeleland league has five teams participating - Gwanda, Esigodini, Inyathi, Plumtree and Busters. These teams play for the Aubrey Walshe Trophy. Adam Huckle plays for Inyathi and Henry Olonga plays for Plumtree. Hwange, who have played up till this season now play friendly matches against Victoria Falls and Livingstone. These three teams will then select a representative team which will play a representative team from the league.
• the Mashonaland league, which has twenty-four teams, divided into four zones, the North, the South, the East and the West. The teams which play in these leagues are as follows;
  • North - Centenary, Mvurwi, Horseshoe, Glendale, Bindura and Shamva.
  • South - Kadoma, Chegutu, Selous, Norton, Harare South and Trelawney.
  • East - Makoni, Ruzawi River, Wedza, Watershed, Goromonzi and Enterprise.
  • West - Doma, Tengwe, Karoi, Aryshire, Marabou and Chinhoyi.
• In this league all the teams in a zone play each other in the first round. In the second round they are divided into leagues depending on their placing in the first round. They then play the teams in that particular league for a place in the semi finals.
• Teams coming first and second play for the Lilthurbridge Cup, the third and fourth placed teams play for the Hammond Cup and the fifth and sixth placed teams play for the Board Cup.

Despite having all these teams only one of the current Zimbabwe squad members plays cricket in winter. Craig Evans plays for Goromonzi and judging by the fact that he won the "Best Batsman" prize last winter season, he obviously thrives in this league. Eddo Brandes who has played for Zimbabwe (and fitness allowing will do so again) plays for the same team.

The rest of the Zimbabwe squad members either work, train and get fit in Zimbabwe or play or coach in England. Currently there are approximately eight players playing in England, only one who is playing at County level - Paul Strang plays for Nottinghamshire.

Apart from all the league matches played in the Mashonaland districts, representative sides are picked and play fixtures against Stragglers, Matabeleland Districts and a team representing the tobacco growers plays against a team representing the Tobacco Industries.

Natal Country Districts enjoyed a short tour of Mashonaland in May - five matches of which they won four and lost one, and South African Country Districts is expected in August.