Manicaland needed a total of just 30 overs to destroy MacDonald Club of Bulawayo by ten wickets last Sunday at Alexandra Club, Harare. Andy Flower was available but was rested by Manicaland after recently arriving home from Zimbabwe's campaign in Sri Lanka. Batting first, Mac Club managed only 63 in 23.5 overs with Andre Soma taking three for 14, Richie Sims three for 7 and Justin Lewis three for 13. Alistair Campbell demoted himself to number 11 to watch Taffy Madondo (36) and Neil Ferreira (12) finish the job in six overs.

Manicaland are back on top of the log and with two to play seem certain to win their first league title. This carries prize money in the region of Z$500 000 (US $1500). They are already guaranteed a top-four place that puts them into a separate knockout competition that carries further prize money.

Andy Flower plays his first home game in Mutare on 3 February prior to departure with the national team to India a week later. Former Test stars Campbell and Whittall also play in the season-closer in Mutare against high-riders Takashinga (formerly Winstonians). Campbell will know by then if his Test career is definitely over, having recently flayed Gauteng B with big centuries in Zimbabwe B's eight-wicket win in Kwekwe. If he isn't on the plane and the selectors still claim he has been dropped for cricket reasons, he will know all he needs to know. Another Manica to flourish in that game was Richie Sims, whose 88 will surely be the start of big things.

The second team continued their losing streak at Mutare Sports Club on the same day. Set a gettable 217 by under-strength Alex II, they fell 36 short in a puzzling display of nerves. For the Harare visitors Quibich Nkala top-scored with 63 whilst captain Dave Tones (30) and Callum McCormick (39) added useful runs. Manicaland II bowled without discipline to give their opponents a total of six extra overs through 28 wides and 9 no-balls. Only captain Dion Yatras (two for 3), who brought himself on in a late spell of desperation, bowled with any purpose. When Tino Mawoyo lost his stumps first ball he started a slide only briefly halted by a battling 36 from Keegan Taylor. For the visitors Anthony van Greunen took four for 33, Mluleki Nkala three for 41 and Tones two for 31.

The second team is determined not to embarrass the sponsors by winning the league (no club can have two teams in the first league). They should have cruised their last two games to win the league - meaning the runners-up would have had to be promoted above them into next season's first league. To compound their problems, in an administrative oversight they failed to select ex-Zimbabwe Under-19 player Jan Oosterhuisen who reportedly arrived at the ground expecting to play. First-team captain Neil Ferreira does not intend to repeat the mistake and has already drafted Oosterhuisen into the Logan Cup squad for next month's four-day first-class fixture.

© Cricinfo