Results of 50-over matches played on Sunday 26 September.

Most of the international players were again absent, this time at the quadrangular tournament in Kenya.

At Alexandra Sports Club. HARARE SPORTS CLUB 308/5 (50 overs) (T R Gripper 114, D J Peacock 103, J Jameson 55*; A R G Gilmour 2/58). ALEXANDRA SPORTS CLUB 265 (46 overs) (D A Marillier 130, J Vaughan-Davies 54, B Bath 24; B T Watambwa 3/27, A P Hoffman 4/39, D J Peacock 2/56). Harare Sports Club won by 43 runs.

The relaid pitch at Alexandra Sports Club certainly proved its worth in an exciting match where batsmen could play their strokes with confidence. Harare Sports Club took the pitch at face value, deciding to bat on winning the toss. Three wickets fell fairly early, but opener Trevor Gripper was still there, and he shared a dashing fourth-wicket partnership of 130 with Dan Peacock. Both recorded their maiden first-league centuries; this was Gripper's first full season, as he has only this year returned from university in South Africa. He is completing his Bachelor of Commerce degree by correspondence and is a professional cricketer with the Zimbabwe Cricket Union. Alex put up a good fight in reply, with opener Douglas Marillier scoring the third and highest century of the day, and being ninth out. His chief assistant was Jason Vaughan-Davies, the pair adding 96 for the sixth wicket. Brighton Watambwa took his three wickets in four balls, conceding a boundary off the second of the four.

At Mutare Sports Club. MANICALAND 184 (48.2 overs) (M G Burmester 21, S Lawson 54, N Sheth 27, D Yatras 29; S Wright 3/37, B Rogers 4/22). OLD GEORGIANS 188/4 (43.4 overs) (B Rogers 66. B D Moore-Gordon 37*, T Friend 26, A J Mackay 28*; D Yatras 2/42). Old Georgians won by six wickets.

Manicaland again lacked the dominant individual performance needed to match the stronger Harare teams. Their middle order fought back well, but they were unable to reach 200. They took two quick wickets when Old Georgians batted, but a valuable partnership between Rogers and a dour Bruce Moore-Gordon put Old Georgians on the road to victory.

At Macdonald Club, Bulawayo. UNIVERSALS 305/6 (50 overs) (D D Ebrahim 100*, B I Robinson 24, H J Hira 74, A H Omarshah 22; S Commerford 3/57). MACDONALD CLUB 130 (35 overs) (M D Abrams 27; E Z Matambanadzo 2/35. D R Matambanadzo 2/28, A H Omarshah 3/1). Universals won by 175 runs.

On a small ground Universals took toll of a weak bowling attack, with Hitesh Hira in particular hitting a powerful 74. Top scorer though was Zimbabwe Cricket Academy student Dion Ebrahim, who opened the innings and just managed to complete his maiden first-league century before the 50-over limit was reached. The home side had little chance of matching a total of over 300, and the loss of four quick wickets ensured that they would not even come a close second. Mark Abrams and Commerford (18) effected a minor recovery, but it took the tail-enders, with the pressure off, to take the total past 100. Ali Shah, with his accurate medium-pace, returned the remarkable bowling figures of 7-6-1-3.

At Queens Sports Club. OLD HARARIANS 212/6 (50 overs) (C Delport 24, D P Viljoen 28, G Parker 38, B C Strang 60*; J R Craig 2/43). QUEENS 164 (44.3 overs) (O Mudindire 43, N R van Rensburg 37, M H Dekker 21; B C Strang 3/53, D P Viljoen 3/25). Old Hararians won by 48 runs.

Queens had the defending champions in some trouble, dismissing their first five batsmen fairly cheaply, only for international reject Bryan Strang to play the role he often does, succeeding by unorthodox aggression when his technical superiors have failed. In partnership mostly with Gavin Parker, Strang hit a powerful unbeaten 60 to take his team past 200. Despite a positive second-wicket stand between Oliver Mudindire and Neil van Rensburg, the Queens batting collapsed when these two were parted; one would expect the likes of Heath Streak, Mark Dekker and John Rennie to be capable of building on this foundation to reach a none-too-difficult target, but Streak was run out and Strang, although wayward at times, accounted for the other two, and Queens were left to rue their inability to capitalise on good positions.