RAIN SPOILS FINAL SHOWDOWN
The final of the National First League knockout competition, between defending champions Old Hararians and Bulawayo-based Queens Sports Club, was badly affected by rain on Sunday as hopes of an exciting end to the club season were dashed. Harare had experienced heavy rainfall for three days preceding the match, and it was somewhat surprising that the players were able to take the field at all.

Both teams were at near full strength for the final, with OH able to include Dirk Viljoen, fresh from the Carlton & United Series in Australia, as well as former international players Paul Strang and Gary Brent, and seasoned English county campaigner Trevor Penney.

Queens too, fielded a strong side, particularly in the bowling department with John Rennie, Mpumelelo Mbangwa and match-winning off-spinner Ian Engelbrecht who has troubled most sides this season. When one considers that Queens were missing Heath Streak (still in Australia for the captains' meeting) and Mluleki Nkala (resting a slight injury), it is clear that the club would have a formidable attack when at full strength.

OH won the right to host the final by finishing on top of the log after the round-robin stage of the competition, but their home ground advantage was eroded when Queens won the toss and asked the hosts to bat. The OH ground staff had managed to keep the wicket firm and dry, although the outfield was slow and heavy and conditions were not ideal for batting. After the early loss of Conan Brewer, Ryan Butterworth and Colin Delport batted watchfully to steady the innings. Inevitably, rain intervened and play was halted after 19 overs with the score on 60/2. After a break of around an hour, play resumed for a further 14 overs before another tropical downpour forced another suspension. During this time OH added another 62 runs for the loss of six wickets as the spectre of Duckworth and Lewis loomed.

The rain continued until after lunch, and so much water was deposited on the field that mops and "squeegies" were employed by the ground staff to remove surface water from the edges of the square.

Eventually play was resumed, but not before the Duckworth-Lewis calculation had been invoked to determine that Queens required 137 off 25 overs to win, 25 overs being the minimum overs required to constitute a match.

To their bemusement, the Queens batsmen discovered that the outfield had become impossibly slow with the ball holding up very quickly in the wet grass. As a result the batsmen were forced to try and hit over the top, but the OH bowlers were too good for this type of batting to succeed. Wickets tumbled at an alarming rate, and only Mbangwa made any score of significance as he flayed the bowling of Greg Lamb towards the death.

In the end OH retained their title by 51 runs, dismissing their visitors for 86 in 22.4 overs, but although the match was played in a good spirit, there was general disappointment that the match had to be played in such conditions. It is a tribute to all involved, including the two international umpires, Ian Robinson and Russell Tiffin, that the match was played at all, but one has to question whether it is in the interests of the players or the game for a match of such importance to be played in such circumstances.

Despite the final disappointment, Queens will reflect on a mostly successful season, particularly for Ian Engelbrecht whose form with the ball has ensured his selection to the Matabeleland side for the Logan Cup competition.

For Old Hararians, the win is confirmation that they have developed an instinctive ability to win matches, particularly the most important ones. OH have played badly at times this season and were often hampered by injuries, but although sometimes unspectacular, they are deserved winners of the league once more. Nyasha Chari and Pete Rinke have developed into a formidable new-ball pair, while Gary Brent has slowly regained some of the form that earned him two Test and 20 one-day international caps. Trevor Penney and Paul Strang have added their collective years of playing experience to create a competitive team that wins when it counts.

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