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Ngqabutho Moyo Sports Reporter
THE National Cricket Franchise season is set to resume today after the usual traditional break over the Christmas and New Year holidays. Lovemore Banda, the Zimbabwe Cricket media and communications manager confirmed the resumption of the local cricket today.
Banda said only Pro50 matches will be played for the next two weeks,
“Only Pro50 matches will be played for the next two weeks as a prelude to the International Cricket Council (ICC) Cricket World Cup,” said Banda.
He said the Logan Cup action was expected to start at the end of the month.
“The four-day Logan Cup competition will resume from the end of January when the national team leaves for New Zealand,” he said.
In today’s games Mashonaland Eagles will play host to their long-standing rivals, Matabeleland Tuskers in Harare while Mid-West Rhinos travel to Mutare to play Mountaineers.
Matabeleland Tuskers are basking at the top of the table with 14 points while rivals Mountaineers sit on nine points, Mashonaland Eagles have five points and Mid-West Rhinos are without a win.
Matabeleland Tuskers’ Brian Vitori, the fastest bowler in Zimbabwe cricket, will have a point to prove after being omitted from the World Cup squad,while Steve Chimhamhiwa, Luke Jongwe, and Christopher Mpofu, make a pace-bowling battery of real quality for the Pro50 competitions.
The Tuskers batting is built around Sean Williams who has shown good form motivated by not being part of the Bangladesh tour and now included in the travelling 15 for the ICC Cricket World Cup.
Mountaineers are perhaps the most likely of the other franchises to challenge Matabeleland Tuskers’ supremacy and will be fancied to scoop a victory over Mid-West Rhinos on their home ground at Mutare Sports Club. They are very powerful when they have their entire international contingent. Their clash with Matabeleland Tuskers at home on January 21 is eagerly awaited. They can play Hamilton and Shingirai Masakadza, Tendai Chatara, Timycen Maruma and Donald Tiripano provided the last two recover from injury.
Fixtures Today
Mashonaland Eagles v Matabeleland Tuskers (Harare), Mountaineers v Mid-West Rhinos (Mutare).
derick.khumalo