Zimbabwe Board XI overcome the rain to win by 19 runs (D/L Method)

The one-day match between the Zimbabwe Board XI and Gauteng B ended unsatisfactorily with a Duckworth-Lewis calculation, which went the way of the Zimbabweans by a margin of 19 runs. It began under a cloudy sky, with no rain imminent but still possible later in the day, and on another hard, sound pitch. Gauteng won the toss and elected to give the home side another run chase by batting first.

Jon Buxton-Forman and Morne van Zijl gave Gauteng a sound start with an opening stand of 31, scored mainly off Mluleki Nkala, as the day's captain Pommie Mbangwa bowled a most impressive opening spell, tying the batsmen down and then bowling van Zijl for 10 with a superb off-cutter that broke back sharply to clip the off stump. In his next over he trapped Matthew Street (2) lbw with a full-length inducker.

Mbangwa, bowling throughout, struck again when Buxton-Forman, after a useful innings of 23, dabbled outside the off stump to be caught at the wicket by Alester Maregwede; 63 for three in the 17th over. Mbangwa finished his nine-over allowance with the fine figures of three for 19.

Paul Strang, so often subject to the whims of the selectors, took the next wickets, as Vaughan van Jaarsveld (15) got a leading edge to spoon a low return catch, and then Sandile Masingemi (37) drove firmly to given him a much harder chance at ankle-height. Then Matthew Harris (16) was beaten and stumped off Richie Sims, and Gauteng were struggling at 117 for six in the 35th over.

However, enterprising hitting and running from Andrew Locke and William Motaung gave them a boost, and they added 54 in seven overs before Locke was yorked by Nkala for 21. Gerard de Bruin was smartly stumped by Maregwede off Raymond Price for 1 and Motaung, after a fine 34 off 29 balls, bowled by Price later in the over. The innings closed on 192 for nine, with Siraaj Conrad and Walter Masimula both unbeaten on 8.

Alistair Campbell and Mark Vermeulen began the chase by making it look easy as they scored steadily off the Gauteng bowlers. Once his eye was in, Campbell seemed determined to finish the match in quick time, and the rumbling of distant thunder suggested this to be a wise policy. Time and again Campbell found the boundary, mostly with effortless drives through - or over - the off side.

Visiting South African umpire Kevin Adams inadvertently saved a four when Campbell drove straight and powerfully, and Adams turned his back instinctively, only to be struck an agonizing blow on the upper right arm. Fortunately he was able to continue his duties.

Campbell reached his fifty with a pull to the boundary off just 39 balls in the 10th over, including nine fours. Then immediately he was out for 51, stumped off Siraaj Conrad. Richie Sims, perhaps a little too daring at times, made 10 before he top-edged a sweep to be caught at short fine leg, and then Vermeulen was run out for 19 attempting a quick single. At 88 for three in the 18th over, the home side were not in trouble but needed to rebuild.

The 20 overs required to constitute a match should Duckworth-Lewis be needed were reached with Zimbabwe well ahead but the rain fast approaching. The end came after 22.4 overs, with the score on 102 for three; Guy Whittall and Dirk Viljoen, consolidating the innings, had 7 each.

Again the ground caught only the fringes of the downpour, but once more an annoying drizzle refused to go away. In the end the umpires had no option but to abandon the match, with the Zimbabwe Board XI declared winners.