Date-stamped : 22 Dec97 - 10:35 22 Dec 1997 Universals win First League cricket title By Jahoor Omar Pacemen Everton Matambanadzo and Colin Joseph turned Univerals' fortunes around yesterday with a blistering opening spell which scuppered hosts and defending champions Alexandra and helped the Ridgeview club win their first Dunlop National First League cricket title in 11 years. After Universals made a disappointing 172 off 47 overs when put into bat first, Matambanadzo and Joseph brought the visitors right back into the match with a bang, scything through the Alexandra top and middle order like a hot knife through butter in the afternoon. The 24-year-old Zimbabwean fast bowler, left to bowl unchanged from the city end by captain Ali Shah, claimed 4-23 off his full quota of 10 overs, including the wickets of the first three batsmen to fall, while partner in crime Joseph, a West Indian, picked up 3-21 off eight overs from the other end. Matambanadzo's figures were looking even better after six overs when he had taken 4-6 to send Alexandra crashing to a miserable 36-7 by the 15th over. Generating a fair degree of pace on a good batting track, the bald-headed fast bowler troubled all the batsmen and would have come out with an even better bowling analysis had he not given away 11 wides. Only big man Derek Carle stood in the way of the Univerals juggernaut, clouting six fours in a valiant 46 in the lower order which both frustrated the visitors and lifted the spirits of the hosts who were missing Murray Goodwin, away in Australia. But when he holed out to Shah at mid-on off left-arm supinner Kashi Burki to be ninth out, the writing was on the wall, as just before 4 pm the death knell rang for Alexandra when they were bowled out for under a hundred. Carle also spearheaded an excellent Alexandra bowling performance in the morning against a Universals side boasting five past and present Test players in Shah, Eddo Brandes, Andy Flower, Alistair Campbell and Matambanadzo. The wily off-spinner's introduction in mid-innings halted in its tracks a bright Universals start and triggered a middle order collapse as they lost four quick wickets for only five runs, slumping from 127-2 to 132-6. Carle finsished with 3-14 off 10 overs while Byan Strang and former Test seamer Kevin Duers picked up two wickets apiece. For Univerals it was once again left-handed Shah, by far the most consistent batsman in the side this season, who led the way with a fine 69 which included five fours and two sixes off one Darrell Goodwin over he will not want to remember in a hurry. Although Universals had won their match quite comprehensively to take their tally of point to 16.5 from seven matches, they were concerned that they could still lose the title to Old Hararians by 0.3 of a point in run rate as they were both tied on 13.5 points from six games before yesterday's games. But Old Boys first had to win their last encounter at home to Harare Sports Club I and attain a much better run rate than Universals to win the league. In the end Old Boys fell short, going down by 17 runs to Sports Club who jumped from fourth to second place in the final standings. Sports Club and Old Boys may have finished with the same number of points (13.5) but Sports Club finished with the better run rate. Fourth were Alexandra. The deciding innings at Old Hararians came from all rounder Gary Martin, who hammered six fours and three sixes in an unbeated 76 as Sports Club took 39 runs off. Scores Alexandra v Universals Univerals 172 (A Shah 69, E Brandes 21; B Strang 2-29, K Duers 2-20, D Carle 3-14) Alexandra 91 (D Carle 46; E Matambanadzo 4-23, C Joseph 3-21). Unversals won by 81 runs. Old Hararians v Harare Sports CLub I Harare Sports Club I 209-6 (C Wishart 81, S Carlisle 23, G Martin 76no; P Strang 2-47) Old Hararians 192-9 (T Penney 68no, Strang 38, G Brent 28, R Price 21no) Harare Sports Club I won by 17 runs Source: The Herald (Harare) 22 December 1997 Contributed by Roger Stringer