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Logan Cup features foreign based player

by Kudakwashe Vhenge

By Trevor Makonyonga

Zimbabwe’s four day cricket tournament, Logan Cup started yesterday with some franchise teams having acquired the services of county cricketers. Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) revealed this in a statement .

“A couple of overseas-based players are set to feature in the first-class competition. Southern Rocks have signed up Shane Snater and Ben Curran who are on the books on English county sides Essex and Northamptonshire respectively. Leicestershire batsman Nick Welch will turn out for Mountaineers. Oskar Kolk and Brad Evans, who have both been involved in county cricket with Cardiff MCCU, have been included in the Eagles squad together with Tanaka Chivanga who has been doing well on the South Africa club scene.” read the statement.

ZC also announced the movement of players within the franchises participating in the tournament.

“Apart from the drafting in of the foreign-based talent, the 2020/21 domestic cricket season has also seen a movement of players between the provincial teams. Zimbabwe internationals Blessing Muzarabani, Sikandar Raza, Tendai Chisoro, Richmond Mutumbami, Brian Mudzinganyama and Cephas Zhuwao will form the nucleus of the Southern Rocks side alongside former Mountaineers players Roy Kaia, Innocent Kaia and William Mashinge. PJ Moor has left Rhinos for Tuskers, with Chris Mpofu and Charles Kunje moving in the other direction. Brendan Taylor, who was with the Alistair Campbell High Performance Centre team last season, is now back in the Rhinos colours.”

The stars of the previous under 19 World Cup squad have also been included in the franchises. “All teams have also included in their squads former national Under-19 players, with the most recent captain Dion Myers (Mountaineers), Gareth Chirawu (Eagles), Tadiwanashe Nyangani (Eagles), Tadiwanashe Marumani (Southern Rocks), Privilege Chesa (Southern Rocks) andNkosilathi Nungu (Southern Rocks) all set to make their first-class bow.

Players who were outstanding in the recent National Premier League campaign have also been rewarded, with Adre Odendaal and Gabriel Jaya of Great Zimbabwe Patriots getting a chance to prove themselves at a higher level with Southern Rocks, while Gladiators bowler Malcolm Chikuwa has earned himself a spot in the Eagles squad.” ZC said.

ZC also added that Mountaineers  will face Eagles at Harare Sports Club, while Tuskers will be taking on Rhinos at Old Hararians Sports Club in the first round of the four-day competition scheduled for 9-12 December. Southern Rocks, back in top-flight domestic cricket for the first time since the 2013/14 season, will be on a bye and will only get into action against Tuskers next week at Harare Sports Club.

That next round of fixtures, pencilled in for 15-18 December, will also see Rhinos and Eagles tussling it out at Old Hararians in the other match to be played before the Christmas break.All Logan Cup matches will be played at venues in Harare in a bio-secure bubble set up by Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) in an effort to greatly minimize the risk of players and support staff contracting or spreading COVID-19.

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