Zimbabwe cricket plumbed new depths today as the national side curled up anddied against a vibrant Kenyan team, who beat them overwhelmingly for thefirst time by seven wickets.Both teams got exactly what they deserved – and Zimbabwe know it. Kenya,the associate member, were vibrant and enthusiastic, inspired by theirappearances in the Super Sixes. Zimbabwe, the full member, far moreexperienced, demonstrated once again their genius for choking when thepressure is on. They could scarcely have done more to prove to the cricketworld that they only reached the Super Sixes thanks to politics and the helpof the weather.I wrote before the match that Zimbabwe were likely to find Kenya tougheropponents in this match than ever before, especially in view of their owntemperamental inadequacies when under pressure. But their incompetence onthe day proved far greater than I, or anybody else except the Kenyans,imagined. They should have forgotten their task of having to beat bothKenya and Sri Lanka to reach the semi-finals, forgotten that they werefavourites to beat Kenya (a label they also find pressurizing) and followedthe Kenyan approach as stated by their captain Steve Tikolo: just to ‘go outthere and enjoy it’.Enjoying the game did not seem to come into Zimbabwe’s game plan in theslightest. Coach Geoff Marsh will have to get used to the idea that theaverage Zimbabwean cricketer is a very different animal from the Australian.We may hate to admit it, refuse to admit it, but he suffers from lowself-confidence and an inferiority complex against more renowned oppositionand is therefore liable to crack under pressure. This has been the sadstory of this country’s cricket from the beginning to the present time.Kenya is not a more renowned country, but the match was played in a pressuresituation. And Kenya handled it infinitely better than Zimbabwe did.Geoff Marsh has paid tribute to the work ethic of the Zimbabwean players,and their commitment to hard work is admirable and never in question. Ifthe English players showed similar commitment they would not be humiliatedby the Australians time and again. But it is inside the head that thingsare wrong. There is the odd exception, like Andy Flower, who has the mentalstrength to rise above that morass of inferiority. But even he has beenunable to find a disciple in the Zimbabwe team able to emulate him.I don’t know how effective sports psychology and counselling would be. Theattitude of sportsmen reflects the society in which they live. Togeneralize, Australian society is aggressive, brash and self-confident,based on the “I can do it” state of mind; Zimbabwean society is meek,self-effacing, easily overawed and liable to tear down those who do believethe “I can do it” philosophy. Major brainwashing of young adults who havebeen brought up in this way is difficult.In the short term, an ‘enjoyment’ philosophy like that so successfullyemployed by the Kenyans looks the best solution. Zimbabwe play their bestcricket that way, when they take the pressure off themselves and just go outto enjoy the moment, to play every game as if it were the last – thesuccessful Andy Bichel philosophy.In the early days of Test cricket the Zimbabwe players there revelled intheir new opportunities, as Alistair Campbell and the Flowers surelyremember. They played within their limitations, but put their whole heartsinto the game without getting grandiose ideas. They were alwayscompetitive, even if they lost. For the time being, this is all Zimbabwecan realistically hope for.After India’s loss to Australia, some of the players’ houses were stoned andthey knew that if they did not do a great deal better, very quickly, theyand their families would be in serious physical danger. Zimbabweans facelittle more than cold contempt from their disillusioned supporters when theyplay badly. If India could revive so thoroughly under so much pressure,what does that say about Zimbabwe?South Africa played grim cricket this World Cup, and were knocked out in thefirst round. Zimbabwe’s cricket has been, by and large, equally carewornand pressurized. It hasn’t worked, guys! Think again about your approach!Incredibly, in view of the wide gulf in experience between the two teams, itwas Kenya who showed more cricketing nous on the field in this match. Theysoon discovered that the pitch was slow and the ball did not come on to thebat, and adjusted accordingly. They pitched the ball up, bowled line andlength, and waited for the Zimbabwe batsmen to get themselves out. Theywere never disappointed for long, as the Zimbabweans were only too eager todo so.Andy Flower alone showed much idea of how to assess the pitch and play onit. He scored nearly half the total, and where would we have been withouthim. It seems we are soon to find out. Last month he refused to answer myquery about his future plans, saying instead he would wait for theauthorities to make a statement at the right time. It seems he has nowbypassed the local press and told an international agency that he is leavingZimbabwe cricket after the World Cup. We are surely in for a dismal timeunless we can find somebody somewhere to put his hand up in the Australianstyle and take on the same responsibility.It was most patriotic of Brian Murphy and Mark Vermeulen to injurethemselves and thus allow the selectors to recall Alistair Campbell hastilyto the team. Unfortunately Campbell, out of practice and probably notmentally adjusted to the sudden recall, failed, but at least he did notthrow his wicket away this time. Many others in the side are more culpable.Even Tatenda Taibu seemed to be caught up in the miasma that Zimbabwecricket can so easily become, and he batted without his usual sparkle andwithout success.Martin Suji did the early damage with the first three wickets. CraigWishart and Grant Flower both fell to quite unnecessary and inappropriateattacking strokes. They know Suji is Kenya’s best bowler. Why wasn’t thegame plan simply to see him off, push him for singles where possible and totake big runs off the lesser bowlers? But none of Flower’s partnersappeared to be looking to push the score along with singles at all. Wasthere no game plan, or did the pressure situation reduce the IQ to the samelevel as the current air temperature in Europe and North America?Amid all the poor strokes and soft dismissals we had a stupid run-out. AndyFlower called for a single, Andy Blignaut raced down the pitch in support,only for Flower to change his mind. We then had a foot race between Flowerand Blignaut to reach the crease at the keeper’s end, narrowly won byFlower. There was speculation and even ignorance shown in the commentarybox as to which player should be given out, as the keeper casually joggeddown the pitch to remove the bails at the bowler’s end. The simple fact wasthat as Blignaut was the last to reach safety in the far crease, he was theone to go.Both batsmen, it was clear, were keen on self-preservation at the expense ofthe other. Flower could argue that, as he was the senior batsman and wellset, it was in the interests of the team that he should not be the one togo. But he did leave his partner right up the creek without a paddle.Blignaut had no such considerations as he tried in vain to reach safetybefore Flower did. Had he put the team first, he would then have walkedstraight off the field whether he thought he was out or not, so the seniorbatsman could continue. The incident reflected poorly on both players, andI hope is not an indication of team spirit – or lack of – in the side.Kenya did start their reply uncertainly. In the first few overs, Zimbabwemanaged to drop two catches and had a genuine catch at the wicket rejected,as umpire Venkat continued his remarkable record of umpiring errors at theexpense of Zimbabwe and Zimbabweans.But it should have been obvious that Zimbabwe’s only hope of victory was totake wickets at all costs. Kenya could hardly fail to reach their meagretarget unless they were completely bowled out. So – pack the slips andgully area and attack! But again Zimbabwe hedged their bets, sethalf-hearted field placings and paid the penalty, as several potentialchances found no eager hands awaiting them. Batting, bowling or fielding,true self-belief was lacking, although there was good bowling from Streakand Blignaut.Although the Kenyans had shown that the pitch was of no help to pace, it wastoo late to influence the result when Streak finally resorted to spin. Bythen Kenya had overcome their own nerves and in a flurry of superb strokeswon the match at a canter. Zimbabwe may never find them easy victims again.As Zimbabwe are on their way down, Kenya are on their way up. It will behard for the ICC to deny them Test status after reaching the semi-finals ofthe World Cup, and also unjust. I am just afraid that, because Test cricketis such a different game and their players are so unused to that version,that they will get humiliated, as Bangladesh have been. They may also haveto pay a harsh price for ICC neglect in the longer version of the game inthe recent past.But it seems Kenya are a much more confident team than Bangladesh, andhopefully will recover and learn quickly. Certainly psychologically thereis no better time than the present, when their confidence is at an all-timehigh and they still have their experienced top players in their prime. Ijust hope they realize that Test status will expose them to a mercilesslearning curve and that confidence and enthusiasm will make much less of animpact when faced with the vast experience of other nations in the Testarena – even hapless Zimbabwe, who cannot even like Sri Lanka useoverconfidence as an excuse for today’s fiasco.Zimbabwe have one final match to play, against Sri Lanka on Saturday, andsince all hope of a semi-final place is gone, we may expect them perhaps toplay a bit better. Possibly they might even decide that playing World Cupcricket can be an enjoyable experience after all. The match might be quitemeaningless, if New Zealand beat India on Friday. Otherwise the pressurewill all be on the Sri Lankans, who are unreliable in such situations, buthave a better track record than Zimbabwe. As indeed do most teams,unfortunately.If any Zimbabwean players read this article and are offended by it, theanswer is simple. Prove me wrong by coming up trumps in a genuine pressuresituation at international level, and do it with a reasonable consistency.We do have occasional high spots – Doug Marillier in India, Heath Streak inNew Zealand, Grant Flower against Pakistan, Henry Olonga in the last WorldCup – but these are isolated moments of individual glory.We need an overall change in mentality. I would be only too delighted to beproved wrong. But, based on the bitter evidence of years, I may have towait a long time.

Antigua, April 9, 2003: The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has received correspondence from Bennett King, Head of the Commonwealth Bank Cricket Academy, confirming his decision not to accept the post of coach with the West Indies cricket team.The WICB regrets that King is not taking up its offer but wishes him well in the work that he has indicated he is keen to pursue on the development of the Centre of Excellence in his native Australia.In a letter to WICB Chief Executive Officer, Roger Brathwaite, King thanked the Board for offering him the position.He also said: “There has been speculation that this decision was made because of the announcement of my nomination prior to our contractual negotiations. I would like to let you know that this did not influence my decision. I would also like to recognise the professional manner in which the recruitment process was handled by the West Indies Cricket Board.”The WICB invites all West Indies cricket fans to join with us in supporting the West Indies team under the leadership of the new captain Brain Lara, interim Coach, Gus Logie and Manager Rickey Skerrit in their challenging series against the Australian team.In the meantime, the WICB will re-visit the selection of a coach for theWest Indies team.For further information please contact Saunders-Franklyn Associates
Tel: (246) 437-5588
Fax: (246) 437-5593
E-mail: [email protected]

Facing a huge Matabeleland total of 598, Midlands responded quite well butnot yet well enough, as they finished the day on 243 for four wickets. Thehighlight was a fighting maiden century by their wicketkeeper AlesterMaregwede.Matabeleland, beginning the day at 497 for six and no doubt with a massivetotal in mind, were shocked in the first over of the second day’s play.Sherezad Shah, after two sessions without an over after unsuccessfullyopening the attack 24 hours earlier, discovered the yorker to good effect.First he caused Keith Dabengwa (33) to play the ball on to his stumps, andtwo balls later trapped new batsman Piet Rinke lbw, all without addition tothe overnight score. Immediately, for some reason, the umpires changed theball!Suddenly finding he had only two partners left, Gavin Ewing, 154 overnight,decided to attack. He got away with a few risky strokes but then, asJordane Nicolle looked solid, settled down again. Nicolle actually did moreof the scoring, making 31 in an hour before being bowled by a ball fromleft-arm spinner Dirk Viljoen that spun sharply and clipped his off bail.Matabeleland were 554 for nine.Last man Norman Mukondiwa hung on gamely as Ewing moved slowly towards hisdouble-century. Finally, a hard pull to square leg, from whose thigh theball rebounded, brought him to 200. Mukondiwa then felt free to indulgehimself a bit, with two lofted boundaries in the rest of the over. Ewingnever quite regained his momentum, apart from a six over extra cover, and hefinally fell to a catch in the covers for 212. He hit 19 fours and 5 sixesin his innings. The team innings closed on 598 with three wickets each forShah and Sibanda, but no bowler was ever really threatening.Midlands, facing an uphill struggle, lost opener Luther Mutyambizi in thesecond over, driving loosely to be caught overhead at cover. There were acouple of frenzied, overexcited appeals from the rampant Matabele team, butthe umpires withstood the pressure and Vusi Sibanda (10) and Terry Duffin(1) held out until lunch.Midlands picked up the scoring rate after lunch, with an interesting battlebetween Nicolle, bowling bouncers with two fielders, and then three, on theleg boundary, and Sibanda, who was willing to take him on and did sosuccessfully for a while.The pair added 51 before Duffin was given out caught down the leg side offRinke, and immediately afterwards Sibanda hooked once too often and holedout on the leg boundary off Nicolle. Midlands were suddenly 56 for three.Viljoen and Maregwede slowly but steadily repaired the innings, though, withquiet, sensible batting, waiting for the bad ball to punish, although notalways as severely as it might have been. Maregwede reached his fifty justafter tea and was then dropped off a firm pull straight to square leg.They continued in the same mode and Matabeleland, becoming desperate, made aferocious appeal for a catch at bat-pad off Ewing when Maregwede was on 88,but it was firmly rejected. As in the Matabeleland innings, much of thebowling was being done by spinners, who were getting some turn, but thepitch was too slow to hurry the batsmen. Ewing followed his double-centurywith a long spell of off-spin bowling, and the batsmen had to play him withcare, but he is not a big spinner of the ball and tended to bowl too manyfull tosses. Patience was the key and the batsmen had it.Finally, after three hours, a lofted straight drive off Barney Rogersbrought Maregwede his maiden first-class century. It came off 158 balls andhe was always the more fluent of the two, as Viljoen allowed him his head.Most of his runs came on the leg side. Soon afterwards, though, he moveddown to drive Ewing without getting to the pitch of the ball and edged acatch to slip. He departed for 105, including 14 fours and a six, and DonCampbell (4) saw out the day with Viljoen (69).

Glamorgan`s batsmen enjoyed a disappointing time on the first day of theirCounty Championship match against Gloucestershire at Cardiff, as the Welsh county were dismissed for just 139 in their first innings after they had been inserted by Mark Alleyne, the Gloucestershire captain.Alleyne`s decision to bowl first was fully vindicated as Glamorgan slumped to 19-5 within the first hour`s play, and it looked as if they might struggle to pass their lowest ever total against their West Country neighbours – 49 at Margam in 1962.Matthew Maynard plus the lower order batsmen staged a brief recovery either side of lunch, but despite a few sturdy blows by Mike Kasprowicz and Alex Wharf, Glamorgan were eventually dismissed for 139, with Jon Lewis returning figures of 5-61.The Gloucestershire openers, Craig Spearman and Phil Weston, then compileda century opening stand, adding 137 before Spearman, the former New Zealand batsman, was caught by Ian Thomas offthe bowling of David Harrison. The young seamer then disposed of Weston, before Kasprowiczremoved Tim Hancock thanks to a deft catch by Mike Powell.Gloucestershire ended the day on 217-3 with former South African Teststar Jonty Rhodes unbeaten on 39* with his side 78 runs aheadand 7 wickets in hand.

Close Attacking batting from West Indies lit up the second half of the second day’s play in the inaugural Test in St Lucia. Wavell Hinds led the way with a forthright 74 not out as West Indies made a spirited reply to Sri Lanka’s stolid 354.Hinds, who biffed four sixes off the spinners, as well as three fours, played the major role in an unbeaten third-wicket stand of 95 with Brian Lara, who was also in attack mode during his innings. Neither batsman allowed the spinners to settle – important after Muttiah Muralitharan struck early on, pinning Chris Gayle in front with his arm ball for 27 (66 for 2). That followed another lbw decision, when Daren Ganga (12) was beaten by Chaminda Vaas (18 for 1).Thoughts of the follow-on were banished by the aggressive Hinds, and at stumps – which again came a few overs early, this time because of bad light – West Indies had reached 161 for 2.Earlier Corey Collymore had marked his return to Test cricket with his first five-wicket haul as Sri Lanka were pegged back. Chaminda Vaas provided some dour resistance in the afternoon session, squeezing precious runs out of the tail, before the innings finally folded for 354.After their lacklustre efforts yesterday, the West Indian bowlers were a rejuvenated lot this morning. Collymore and Merv Dillon troubled the batsmen with swing and seam, but it was Hinds’s part-time wobblers which accounted for Marvan Atapattu for 118. Hinds coaxed Atapattu into a loose drive outside off stump, which he nicked straight to Lara at second slip (266 for 5).Now Collymore took over. First Romesh Kaluwitharana (2) was adjudged leg-before to one that was slipping down the leg side (269 for 6). Then Kaushal Lokuarachchi edged low to Lara (285 for 7), and Thilan Samaraweera nicked one through to Ridley Jacobs (288 for 8).Vaas and an uncharacteristically cautious Muralitharan (69 balls for 14) then dug in either side of lunch, putting on 38 for the ninth wicket. Hinds again proved the partnership-breaker, trapping Muralitharan leg-before with the fourth ball of a new spell (326 for 9).But there was more frustration for West Indies as Vaas and Prabatha Nissanka eked out 28 for the last wicket in nearly an hour, before Vaas, whose 38 occupied 125 balls, was caught behind off Gayle. Hinds finished with 2 for 28, but the bowling honours went to Collymore, with 5 for 66.Lara will be looking to continue the attack on the third morning. West Indies need a big score, as the pitch is already taking spin and they will not want to face a big fourth-innings target with Murali on the case.

A few decades – and several human-rights acts – have passed since anyone last extolled the benefits of a “damn good thrashing”, but there’s nothing like the prospect of a gruesomely one-sided contest to get an Australian’s juices flowing. Adam Gilchrist, the supposed nice guy of the Australian team, has promised to teach Bangladesh a lesson they will never forget when the teams meet at Darwin next month for the first Test of an intriguingly awaited contest.Many former Australian Test players, most recently Dennis Lillee, have criticised the decision to stage such a hopelessly lopsided contest. On the one hand, Bangladesh have lost 18 of their 19 Tests to date, 13 by an innings. Australia, by contrast, have won 29 of their 38 matches since the turn of the decade, and haven’t lost a home Test series since 1992-93. Gilchrist, however, was unrepentant.”People will look at the series and say it’s going to be a write-off, that we’re going to not only win but smash them,” he said. “But there’s no doubt they’ll benefit from the experience, whether it’s an absolute thrashing or if they really surprise everyone and do well. Win, lose or draw, it will be a lesson for them, a step forward for them to play against what’s perceived to be the best team in the world.”There are a lot of positives to the series that people might be overlooking,” added Gilchrist. “It’s the first time for Australia playing Bangladesh, so we’ll be making history in that regard. There will be the history of playing the first Test in Darwin, and the history of playing the first Test in Cairns. And there will be the excitement factor of the locals up there getting to see Test-match cricket.”The bottom line for Australia, however, is victory – by the widest possible margin. “Hopefully, if we play well, we’ll smash them,” warned Gilchrist, “because that will mean we’re still playing to our level.”

Damien Martyn, on the verge of making a comeback to the Australian team after a long injury lay-off, has said that he does not regret playing the World Cup final with a broken finger. Martyn’s injury was aggravated during that match, leading him to miss out on the tour of West Indies and the Tests against Bangladesh. On the flip side, his unbeaten 88 and his 224-run partnership with Ricky Ponting were instrumental in Australia winning the final.”Even if I’d known what was going to happen,” said Martyn, “I wouldn’t change it at all. The World Cup final was the biggest highlight of my life. The frustrating thing is that I didn’t think I’d be out for so long, I thought it would be two or three weeks, or a month.”Martyn’s finger got worse during that game and ended up looking like an eggshell, with five small fractures. It took him two months after the resultant operation before he could hold a bat, let alone actually play cricket.”It’s been a long slow process of rehab and waiting for the joint to mend,” said Martyn. “I’ll never have full movement in it and in old age it’ll be a bit arthritic. But at the moment I can catch and throw and bat without pain – that’s the main thing for me, that I can hold a bat and play. In that sense the finger’s good now, I’m just rusty cricket-wise.”Martyn may have missed the opportunity to play in the first Test at Darwin, his birthplace, but he is all set to play in the one-day international series against Bangladesh, which will move to Darwin after games this weekend at Cairns. “It was sad missing the Test match in Darwin,” he said “I hate missing Test matches but you have to take the expertise and act on that. I’ve just got to focus on getting picked this weekend and whatever happens down the track is what happens.”Martyn’s one-day slot is not as much of a worry, though, as his Test place. Darren Lehmann made two centuries against Bangladesh and Martin Love made one, which will make it difficult for Martyn to get back into the Test side. Australia next play a Test in October, against Zimbabwe, and Martyn will have hardly any cricket before that to make a case for selection. His decision to play in the World Cup final may have helped Australia win the tournament, but it could have come at a heavy personal cost.

Close
ScorecardA strong batting display meant India A suffered a long day in the field as Warwickshire ended the first day’s play at Edgbaston on an a commanding 302 for 4.Partnerships were the key to their innings and Mike Powell, the captain, led from the front with a solid 68 from 123 balls. Jonathan Trott followed that with 78 including 11 fours and Ian Bell then dug in to reach 71 not out, adding an unbroken 89 for the fifth wicket with Tony Frost (30*).Lakshmipathy Balaji was the pick of the India A bowlers with 2 for 45, including the wickets of Jonathan Trott and Dominic Ostler for 10, but it was a rare day of disappointment so far on India A’s tour.

The drain of experienced players from Zimbabwean cricket has continued with the retirement of the former left-hand opener, Gavin Rennie. Though he is only 27 years old, Rennie has chosen not to renew his contract with the Zimbabwe Cricket Union, and has instead opted to venture into business.Rennie started his career brightly by scoring a fifty in each of his first four Tests in 1997-98 but, like Craig Wishart and Stuart Carlisle, he had been in and out of the side ever since. For the recent tour of England, he was overlooked despite the serious shortage of experienced batsmen, and he has admitted he was losing his enjoyment of the game."I certainly didn’t expect my international career to end this prematurely," said Rennie at the start of the new season. "I think that the management of my career by the Zimbabwe Cricket Union and the poor timing of selection forced me into this decision. I understand that the ZCU and the selectors have a tough task in trying to fulfil the policies they have, but I believe that in the best interests of Zimbabwe cricket the ZCU have lacked forward planning and player management."Rennie insisted that he is not departing in bitterness or under pressure, but that it was entirely a personal decision. "I also had to consider my personal life and my marriage," he said. "And I have certainly been under a lot of strain during the past 18 months with the way cricket has gone in this country and with my non-selection, even though my performances have justified my selection for some tours."The recent tour of England failed to vindicate the selectors’ policy ofplaying a young, inexperienced side, and often the team went into the field with only four specialist batsmen. Dion Ebrahim battled manfully, but lacked a reliable opening partner, while the only two experienced players in Carlisle and Grant Flower generally struggled for runs in the international matches. Even when Carlisle was injured, the selectors failed to call on either Rennie or Wishart, and it was clear to all that more experience was vital."It’s unfortunate that I was not selected for the tour, because the position I find myself in now might have been a little different," he said. "But the ZCU and selectors had their reasons for not selecting me, and perhaps they have realised their error in preferring so many young players on such an important tour. A lot of the senior players and a large portion of the cricketing community felt I should have been on that tour."Had he struck good early-season form, Rennie may well have found himself in the frame for national selection again, but by now he had lost his passion and enjoyment of the game. "There’s only so much disappointment a cricketer can take, and I’ve found I have reached that level," he said. "With selection there are no guarantees and I’m not asking for any, but I feel I have done my years as a Zimbabwe A cricketer and toured with the national team many times, successfully and otherwise."He did not make his decision without a great deal of thought, as he spoke to ZCU managing director Vince Hogg, and then to Heath Streak and Geoff Marsh as well as two of the selectors. They understood the reasons for his decision and asked him to reconsider but, as Rennie said, "it had got to the stage where it was no longer a financial issue but an enjoyment issue. I found that the passion I had for playing cricket had been eroded."Most batsmen tend to reach their peak in their late twenties and earlythirties, so Rennie has wisely not burnt his boats. He does not plan to play any cricket this season at any level, but has not ruled out thepossibility of a return to the game in the future. "I need a completebreak, but perhaps the passion I had will be rekindled in the years tocome," he said. "At my stage of life I’m looking for financial security and stability, which is obviously not evident at present with the Zimbabwe Cricket Union for various reasons. Maybe in the future when I have regained my passion for the game, maybe I will be ready to come back into cricket."He has moved into business as a transport broker, on a consultancy basis, and as he realises, once his business is established, it should be possible for him to become financially secure and take time off to play cricket again should he wish. He has a great deal to offer to Zimbabwe cricket, not just with the bat and ball, but as a senior player capable of nurturing the youngsters when there are so few father figures to turn to at present. He has also been respected as a quiet, capable captain who handles his team well on the field but, apart from a short spell in charge of Zimbabwe A, this ability has been recognised less than it should.His first four Tests he names as the most memorable time of his career,although since then he made his highest scores of 84 against India and 93 against New Zealand, both as opener. Yet after that 93 he was dropped for a year. He scored 1023 Test runs, with seven fifties, at an average of 22, which would surely have been higher given a good run in the side. He played 40 one-day matches, averaging almost 20, and was one of the most skilful players at keeping the score bubbling over at the death. Many believe that increasing political pressure to fast-track young black players into the national side has worked against players like him.Team highlights for him were his involvement in Zimbabwe’s first Test series win away from home, against Pakistan in 1998-99, and their first one-day series away, in New Zealand in 2000-01. Both are `fantastic memories’, and he concludes by saying, "I would like to thank the Zimbabwe Cricket Union for the memories I have had, and I wish them the very best in the future as they continue to manage cricket in this country. I would also like to thank the supporters I’ve had, who have gone a long way to inspiring me to reach greater heights." No doubt they too are hoping Gavin Rennie’s retirement will be a brief one.

The battle for cricket supremacy amongst Christchurch and Canterbury Country Primary Schools gets underway tomorrow with the start of the 2003 MILO Trophy Cricket Competition. A record 65 teams will represent their primary schools over the next eight weeks to find the overall competition winner.Schools from within the Canterbury Country area will this year come together for a one-day tournament. This is a new initiative and is aimed at reducing the pressure on schools to travel long distances. Tournament winners will progress through to the knockout phase.Sides to watch this year will be last year’s winners, Amberley, finalist from the last two years Elmwood while Paparoa Street, Fendalton, Thorrington, Springston and Windsor have strong representation and are likely to be there at the business end of the competition.CCA development manager Mike Harvey commented that “the number of team entries in this season’s competition is fantastic and the schools are all approaching the competition with enthusiasm. We will continue to support the competition with umpires/scorers at each game and look forward with interest to watching the competition progress.”The competition with culminate with the final on December 12th.