Mutare Sports Club are national league champions for the first time after winning their final game of the season. Tied first with Old Georgians and Universals going into the last game, they finished on equal points with OGs (after both sides had won) – but went through on a higher run rate.

Travelling to Old Hararians in Harare to meet Bulawayo Sports Club last weekend, they prevailed by nine wickets with time to spare. Managing only a disappointing 77 in 39 overs after winning the toss, BSC succumbed to disciplined Manica bowling with Sims collecting two for 10, Burmester two for 19 and Iain Coulson mopping the tail with three for 2.

Neil Ferreira (40 not out) and Andy Flower (29 not out) knocked off the runs after the early loss of Tafadzwa Madondo - playing his last game for Manicaland prior to departure to New Zealand to start a professional rugby career. It's not clear exactly how he is going to break in, but he is initially heading to Auckland to stay with family. He has been made to understand his prospects are good. He certainly won't miss the black cricketers from Takashinga club. Batting against them a fortnight ago, they taunted with him unfavourable comparisons to his deceased Test-playing brother Trevor and his willingness to play for the enemy (Manicaland).

Flower batted slowly, trying to get maximum time in the middle prior to his departure to India with the Zimbabwe team later this week. Alistair Campbell was missing from the Manicaland team having bruised a thumb, courtesy of a Henry Olonga lifter during a mid-week net practice. He too will be joining Flower in India, having finally finished a period of extended punishment for talking to the English media. He appears to have learnt his lesson. All friendly approaches by this journo last week attracted glacial reserve from this normally outgoing man.

Takashinga return to Mutare Sports Club next Sunday to play Manicaland in an end-of-season knockout competition for the top four sides of the national league. Expect more sparks to fly. And this time Manicaland will be without their top guns - Flower and Campbell in India, Whittall and Sims in South Africa with Zimbabwe A. The other two teams in the competition are Old Georgians and Universals.

Watching the antics of Takashinga two weeks ago was former Manicaland Secretary Graham Skidmore. Out from Taunton for a short holiday to visit his daughters, he remains an active umpire in the UK and spent much time pressing umpire test-questionnaires into the hands of bemused local umpires. He also gave news of Jeremy Barnes, former Mutare Boys High teacher of the late 70's and Manicaland cricketer. After a long spell teaching in Johannesburg he is now a professor - married to an American GP - and raises corn and chickens in Texas.

This Friday sees the start of Manicaland's first class program with a four-day game against the CFX Academy at Mutare Sports Club. Making their first-class debuts will be Naeem Sheth and schoolboy's Tino Mawoyo (16) and Adiel Kugotsi (17).

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