The Independent reports that the clus that recently broke away from the Mashonaland and Matabeleland provincial associations have announced the creation of a new national cricket league, which will also include some clubs from other provinces. The involved teams are: Old Hararians, Harare Sports Club, Alexandra, Old Georgians and Universals from Mashonaland; Queens, Bulawayo Sports Club, Bulawayo Athletics Club and Crescent from Matabeleland; Mashonaland and Matabeleland Country Districts sides and Midlands’ Kwekwe Sports Club.
Details of the league’s organisation and admin structure are to be finalised in the next few weeks. Those involved are reported to have notified the ICC of their intentions and the reasons behind it, but will have taken little comfort from the outcome of this week’s ICC Executive meeting.
The developing situation brings to mind the current position in the US, where the ICC-recognised national body, the USACA, is mired in internal problems and doing little to promote the game, while the independent Major League Cricket organisation is doing all the footwork with little or no recognition from the powers that be. It’s a damaging situation for both coutries, but as long as the official governing bodies aren’t forced to face up to their failings, the position is unlikely to improve.
Cricket clubs form splinter league
The Independent has an interview with Zim captain Terrence Duffin, which touches upon the drawn series with Kenya:
“We should have won the second Harare game and wrapped up the series 3-1 before that final ODI was washed away”
…and the style of national coach Kevin Curran:
“Most definitely he is a very demanding person and his works are good. He tries to set standards high. I think he’s good for the players. Players are beginning to believe in themselves a little bit more.”
Given the circumstances of his appointment, Duffin comes across as very confident that his team can eventually play to a good standard - if only they get the chance to show it.
I’ve got what it takes to be captain: Duffin
Following the example set by Mashonaland clubs earlier in the year, a number of senior clubs in Matabeleland have quit the provincial association in protest at continuing ZC mismanagement. The clubs are reportedly holding talks with clubs in Mashonaland to decide how to proceed from here. Their action leaves ZC managing a cricket infrastructure with essentially no quality teams - and with the ICC having taken responsibility for deciding if or when Zimbabwe can return to playing Test cricket, you have to wonder if it will now happen at all.
CricInfo have a comment piece on this latest dispute that’s worth a look.
Crumbling from the bottom up
CricInfo reports that Bangladesh are hoping to play 2 ODI series against Zimbabwe this year - a 5-match series is planned for July in Zimbabwe, with a further 7-match return series in Bangladesh following the Champions Trophy. Both series are subject to confirmation, and with the problems Bangladesh had pinning down a Zimbabwean committment to make the current Bangladesh-Kenya series a triangular tournament, it might be unwise to assume either series will go ahead as planned.
Bangladesh eager to play Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe’s U19 captain Sean Williams has turned down a contract offer from Zimbabwe Cricket, and will now be pursuing offers to play in South Africa and England, according to a report over at CricInfo. Williams is one of the leading lights of the next generation of Zimbabwean players, and one of the players ZC would have been desperate to keep if they’re to have any chance of rebuilding a Test-quality side.
Sean Williams says no to Zimbabwe contract
CaribbeanCricket.com has details of the revised match schedule for Zimbabwe’s tour to the West Indies. The ODIs and practice match originally scheduled will go ahead as planned, while the two cancelled test matches have been replaced with back-to-back one-day games in Guyana, on April 29th and 30th.
Guyana Gets Two Zimbabwe ODIs (caribbeancricket.com)
The 5th and deciding ODI between Kenya and Zimbabwe has been abandoned due to rain. This leaves the series tied at 2-2.
The Kenya - Zimbabwe series seems incapable of producing anything remotely like a close match, as Zimbabwe thrashed Kenya in a rain-affected match in Harare earlier today, tieing the series at 2-2 and setting up a series decided tomorrow (Saturday), although once again life proved difficult for the batsmen.
Zimbabwe won the toss and elected to bat. Zim coach Kevin Curran had reportedly read the riot act at his young team after Wednesday’s dismal collapse, and it seemed to have had the desired effect at least in the top order, with Duffin (39) and Rinke (72) putting on an opening partnership of 99. Brendan Taylor (40) and Elton Chigumbura (36) also contributed to a respectable Zimbabwe score of 231/9, but the lower order once again failed to make any real contribution - in similarly spectacular fashion to the previous match, the final five wickets fell for just 14 runs, although fortunately by that stage the good work had been done.
Then came the Kenyan’s turn, and their chance to feel what it’s like to be on the receiving end of a drubbing as they collapsed to 122 all out in just 36.5 overs. Only Otieno (69) and Ongondo (17) reached double figures, leaving Zimbabwe to claim the largest winning margin of the series so far.
All this means that tomorrow’s final match takes on a winner-takes-all feel - the winner of that match will finish with the series title and the higher ICC ODI ranking of the two teams. Zimbabwe would seem to have the momentum at the moment, but if anything has been proven by this series it’s that you can never be sure how either team will play on any given day. It should be an interesting match, at least.
Full Scorecard (BBC Sport)
Kenya have won the 3rd ODI in Harare by 65 runs, after a low-scoring game that was almost a battle to see who could bat worst. Play was delayed due to rain, but when the match finally got underway Kenya won the toss and elected to bat. Zimbabwe were quickly able to make inroads into the Kenya batting order, with Edward Rainsford picking up 3 for 16 for his 9 overs before being substituted. Kenya failed to complete their allotted overs, finishing on just 134 in the 43rd over.
However, any thoughts of Zimbabwe pulling off a convincing win were soon dashed by the sort of spectacular batting collapse that only Zimbabwe seem to be able to produce. Five Zim batsmen - Masakadza, Strydom, Higgins, Utseya and Ireland - failed to score, with only two of the others - Brendan Taylor (33) and Charles Coventry (14) reaching double figures. Zimbabwe lasted just 22.5 overs, and clocked up a meagre 69 for their efforts.
Kenya now take a 2-1 lead into Friday’s 4th match, but more importantly have now overtaken Zimbabwe in ODI ranking points.
Full Scorecard (BBC Sport)