Welcome to the first issue of Zimbabwe Cricket Online for the 2001/02 season. Every week we plan to bring you news of cricket all over Zimbabwe, although for reasons beyond our control we will not be able to cover every area of the game, or even as extensively as we have done in the past. Still, we will try our best.

In this issue we bring you news from Mashonaland, Matabeleland and Manicaland,and also a report on the first round of the Vigne Cup, the Mashonaland club competition. Unfortunately our regular club cricket contributor, Clive Ruffell, is no longer able to cover this, and we would like to thank him for his outstanding contributions of the past. Larry Moyo, sports reporter for The Herald, has willingly taken over this task. We also include a look at the coming season, through the eyes of the Zimbabwe Cricket Union managing director Dave Ellman-Brown, whose energy on behalf of cricket in this country remains as strong as ever.

The South African tour has been covered extensively on CricInfo, and we have just a few thoughts to add on what was generally a disappointing Zimbabwe performance, with the exception of the incredible Andy Flower.

Here is the cricket programme for Zimbabwe for the rest of the month:

Friday 21 Sept: Zimbabwe A v South Africans (Queens Sports Club)

Sunday 23 Sept: Zimbabwe v South Africa (1st ODI, Queens Sports Club) Vigne Cup Round 2 in Harare

Saturday 29 Sept: Zimbabwe v South Africa (2nd ODI, Harare Sports Club)

Sunday 30 Sept: Zimbabwe v South Africa (3rd ODI, Harare Sports Club)

As usual, South Africa will be strong favourites to win the one-day series by three victories to none, but Zimbabwe have twice before upset the odds, once in the World Cup in England and once in South Africa. Can they do it a third time?

© CricInfo