Manicaland win by 1 wicket at Alexandra

This match put its exciting contemporary between Mashonaland and Matabeleland at Harare Sports Club in the shade. The end result was a one-wicket victory to Manicaland with two balls to spare, but even that result perplexed the umpires and teams at first, and there was a great deal more to the match than that.

Midlands, who are the only side yet to win in this series, won the toss and decided to bat on a pitch that was much superior to the one that caused controversy on Friday. It was a good batting pitch with even bounce, but Midlands did put themselves under something of a handicap by struggling to a total of only 23 in the first ten overs. Just as they were speeding up, their first three wickets fell for the addition of only five runs.

The middle order recovered the situation, with Ervine making a good 47 before playing on to Guy Whittall. Alester Maregwede (28) was brilliantly caught by keeper Neil Ferreira, but Terry Duffin, the Logan Cup opener given his first one-day match at number nine, scored a good 32 at the death. There was good bowling from each of Henry Olonga, Blessing Mahwire and Guy Whittall, and the total was 220 for nine.

Manicaland made a bright start to their innings, thanks to Neil Ferreira (32) and Guy Croxford (27). Most of the middle order got a start but failed to follow it through, and Manicaland were at various stages 73 for four, then 104 for six, and 155 for nine, with all hope seemingly gone. Wickets seven to nine all fell in the same way: caught and bowled by Doug Marillier, bowling his off-breaks. He took a fine diving catch to remove Paul Strang, then clutched a typically powerful drive from Glen Barrett to save his face, and finally beat Gary Brent in flight to take his third in a row.

At this point Henry Olonga joined the youthful Blessing Mahwire and took charge. He guided his partner wisely, urging him to play his shots in the V and look for ones and twos. Olonga had one dropped catch, which in the event was to cost Midlands the match, but he hit an aggressive and confident 32 to his partner's 27.

The pair were to put on 66 runs together, but the end of the match caused much discussion. David Mutendera bowled the final over, with the scores level and the keeper standing up. It was a wide, but Olonga was immediately stumped off it. It was agreed that Manicaland had won, with the run accrued from the wide, but was Olonga out? The game was over the moment the wide was bowled, and therefore the stumping occurred after the conclusion of the match and does not count.

A remarkable match, a remarkable result and a remarkable finale. What a pity so few people in Harare bothered to turn up to watch the two Sunday matches in particular - better one-day cricket would surely be impossible to find.