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Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
MATABELELAND Tuskers will be out for their first win of the Logan Cup season when they take on MidWest Rhinos in the final game of the season tomorrow.

The Bulawayo-based franchise anchor the table going into the last round of matches, with just five points from eight outings, which include four defeats, three draws and one abandoned game.

Tuskers leave Bulawayo for Kwekwe today hoping to end the season with a victory.

Bulawayo Metropolitan Cricket chairman Vumi Moyo has expressed disappointment with Tuskers’ pathetic performances in the Logan Cup competition, saying there is a need to revisit the province’s development system.

Tuskers, former champions of the country’s First Class competition, are on the verge of ending the season winless.

“To be honest I’m disappointed with how our team performed this season. Of course, we had two of our experienced guys Sean Williams and Craig Ervine out for the better part of the season either due to national team commitments or injuries. However, that is not an excuse for a poor show because their absence presented opportunities for young lads who failed to impress. Our main problem was our batting,” said Moyo.

A chronic back injury kept Williams on the sidelines, while Ervine was nursing a knee injury.

Moyo noted that top order batsman Brian Chari, who they expected to lead their batting attack, failed to live up to the billing together with Nkosana Mpofu.

Tuskers also lost Keith Dabengwa after just one game when the all-rounder decided to relocate to Scotland.

Another letdown at Tuskers was Richmund Mutumbami who was expected to use the domestic competition to force his way back into the national team.

Moyo said Charles Kunje, who joined from Mutare, was their best performer.

“Kunje scored runs for us. I think we have a problem with our development system which is not producing cricketers. We risk being a stopover for players that would have been deemed excess baggage by other provinces. There’s a need to revisit our development system, have a strategic workshop with all stakeholders, including schools, so that we find ways of producing players for the franchise,” Moyo said.

In the eight games Tuskers played this season, they lost points to MidWest Rhinos in their opening game when players refused to play over salary protests.

Their second game against Mountaineers in Mutare was abandoned without a ball being bowled because of rain.

In February, Tuskers drew against Mountaineers in Bulawayo and also drew their fourth match against Eagles. Eagles went on to beat Tuskers by an innings and 85 runs in Match Five.

Tuskers lost to Mountaineers by 82 runs before playing to a draw against Eagles.

In their last match played at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo last week, Tuskers lost by 220 runs to MidWest Rhinos.

Round Nine Fixtures

May 17-20: MidWest Rhinos v Tuskers (Kwekwe), Mountaineers v Eagles (Mutare)

Logan Cup Table

P     W     L     Td     D     Ab     Pts
Mountaineers          8     3     0     0     3     2     32
MidWest Rhinos     8     3     2     0     2     1     22
Eagles                        8     1     1     0     4     2     20
Tuskers                      8     0     4     0     3     1     5

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