Faith Ndou
Masvingo based cricket club Southern Rocks are on the verge of lifting the 2025/26 Logan Cup when they face Mashonaland Eagles at Harare Sports Club from March 30 to April 2 2026.
The match is expected to be a title decider as Southern Rocks sit at the top of the table with 98 points while the Eagles are second with 74 points.
Southern Rocks boosted their title hopes after a dominant victory over Mega Market Mountaineers in a Logan Cup match played at Takashinga Cricket Club in Highfield.
In that match, Southern Rocks declared on 350/9 before bowling out Mountaineers for 165 in their first innings and 165 again after being forced to follow on, sealing victory by an innings and 20 runs.
The Logan Cup features five provincial teams namely the Mashonaland Eagles (Mashonaland), ega Market Mountaineers (Mutare), Mid West Rhinos (Midlands), Southern Rocks (Masvingo) and Matabeleland Tuskers (Bulawayo).
Speaking ahead of match decider, Southern Rocks coach Njabulo Ncube praised his players for their performances throughout the season.
“We have been playing good cricket this season. Credit to the boys for pushing each other and creating a competitive healthy environment. We have scored six centuries and 13 fifties in the Logan Cup which has helped us post competitive scores against all teams. Our bowlers have also done well in bowling teams out,” he said.
Ncube added that strong leadership from captain Roy Kaia (pictured top) and guidance from senior players had played a key role in the team’s campaign.
“Our senior players have played a big role in guiding the youngsters while the young players are also producing notable performances that could push them to the next level,” he said.
So far, Southern Rocks have won four matches and drawn three with the draws largely due to rain interruptions.
Meanwhile, team manager Tatenda Maponga highlighted key performances in the victory over Mountaineers.
Innocent Kaia scored a career-best 176 while Panashe Taruvinga and Jonathan Campbell contributed with half-centuries.
With the ball, Jalat Khan claimed eight wickets in the match supported by Zimbabwe Under-19 player Shelton Mazvitorera, who picked up five wickets.
Captain Roy Kaia said the team delivered a strong all-round performance.
“We played good cricket with both bat and ball. The batters put runs on the board and made sure we collected all batting points while the bowlers did their job by taking 20 wickets,” he said.
Looking ahead to the final match, Kaia said the team remains focused.
“We are taking one game at a time. We don’t have to overthink about the Eagles game. We will focus on our dressing room and make sure we tick all our boxes,” he said.
He also called on supporters to rally behind the team.
“To our supporters, keep supporting us and we will bring joy to Masvingo province by lifting the Logan Cup trophy and the Pro50.”
The Logan Cup is played over four days with each team batting twice in two innings. For a team to win outright, it must bowl out the opposition in both innings, claiming a total of 20 wickets while scoring more runs overall.
With one match left in the season, Southern Rocks know that victory over the Eagles will guarantee them the Logan Cup title.
