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Zimbabwe Provinces' SAA Provincial Cup match in Windhoek on Sunday was abandoned with no result after heavy rain forced the end of play. Batting first, Namibia scored 197/9 from their allotted 43 overs, Muzarabani, Mawhire and Kamungozi taking two each to restrict the hosts to a chasable score. Provinces seemed set on chasing it, too, before rain interrupted with Provinces on 26/0. And that was the end of that.
Namibia 197/9 (43/43 overs; Rudolph 55, Muzarabani 2/36), Zimbabwe Provinces 26/0 (8.4/43 overs; Mayoyo 9*, Chakabva 11*). Match abandoned - rain. No result.
Scorecard below the cut. Next SAA Provincial matches: Free State v Zimbabwe Provinces at Bloemfontein, 24-26 & 27 January.

Namibia may have fought back yesterday, but that man Mawhire - with a fair amount of help from Graeme Cremer - did it again with the ball on the final day to make sure Provinces will leave Windhoek with at least one win under their belt. The margin of victory also gives Provinces a points boost in the SAA Provincial Challenge table, taking them to 3rd behind Griqualand West and Easterns - although Northerns and Gauteng have games in hand.

Following on, Nambia held on to score 331, led by a fighting 120 from Botha and 43 from LJ Burger. Once Provinces reached the lower order, though, the home side's resistance melted away, leaving Provinces a target of 100 to win. Tino Mawoyo and Friday Kasteni started the chase, although both fell before the end of play, and it fell to Cremer and Nyamuzinga to finish the chase.
Zimbabwe Provinces 339/6 decl (Chakabva 118*, Klazinga 2/46) & 102/2 (Cremer 35, Klazinga 1/20), Namibia 107 (AJ Burger 23, Mawhire 5/11) & 331 (Botha 120, Mawhire 3/23). Zimbabwe Provinces win by 8 wickets.
Scorecard below the cut. Next match: Namibia v Zimbabwe Provinces, SAA Provincial Cup (1-day match): 13 January, Windhoek.
Previous days' reports: Day One | Day Two

Stumps: Zimbabwe Provinces 339/6 decl (Chakabva 118*, Klazinga 2/46), Namibia 107 (AJ Burger 23, Mawhire 5/11) & 218/3 (following on - DH Botha 104*, Cremer 2/64). Provinces lead by 14 runs.
The proverbial "game of two halves" in Windhoek today, as Zimbabwe started as they finished off yesterday by removing Namibia for a paltry 107 (led by an outstanding 5'fer by captain Blessing Mawhire, who conceded just 11 runs in 9.3 overs along the way). With the advantage firmly in their hands, Provinces enforced the follow-on and started well by removing opener AJ Burger for just 3. At that point, though, Namibia suddenly rediscovered how to play, and after digging their heels in saw out the day to end on 218/3 - still 14 runs behind Provinces' first-innings total, but in a position from where they could conceivably salvage a draw.

Suddenly, it looks like we're in for an exciting final day. Scorecard for today is below the cut.

ZC have announced the Zimbabwe Provinces squad to travel to Windoek for the SAA Provincial Challenge & Cup matches against Namibia:
Blessing Mahwire (captain), Regis Chakabva (wicket-keeper), Graeme Cremer, Tafadzwa Kamungozi, Friday Kasteni, Admire Manyumwa, Tinotenda Mawoyo, Keegan Meth, Bonaparte Mujuru, Taurai Muzarabani, Stephen Nyamuzinga, Edward Rainsford and Prosper Tsvanhu.

Rainsford's return is notable - also worth pointing out that, with the Pakistan squad also leaving this week, none of these players will feature on that tour.
ZC - Zim Provinces off to Namibia

Division Two of the World Cricket League recently finished in Windhoek, Namibia - the league is the ICC's new route to World Cup qualifying that allows any Associate or Affiliate nation to have a shot at playing in the game's top tournament, with the League providing 6 sides to the World Cup pools. The ICC World Cup Qualifiers take place in UAE in April 2009; sides in WCL Division One (Kenya, Ireland, Scotland, Netherlands, Canada and Bermuda) have already booked their slots, while the top 4 teams from the 6 who took part in Division Two are also now on the list - that's Namibia, Oman, UAE and Denmark.

Uganda missed out, finishing in 5th place - that sees them relegated to Division Three, but their chance isn't lost yet as the top two sides from Division Three (to be played in January 2009, with 6 teams taking part) will complete the lineup for the Qualifiers.

Other African sides still in with a remote shot are Botswana, Mozambique (both in Division Five) and Tanzania (in Division Four).

Tatenda Taibu is now playing for Namibia in the SAA Provincial Cup & Shield matches - as Namibia are playing in these competitions as an invitational side, the usual qualifying rules don't apply. According to Francoise Erasmus, a spokesman for the Namibian team:

"He will be with our squad for the remainder of the season. It is something we have been discussing for a while and Tatenda seems very excited by the situation."

Mention was also made of the possibility of Taibu qualifying to play full international matches for the side - a step down as Namibia are an Associate nation & do not have ODI status - but Taibu would need to have lived in Namibia for 5 years before this could happen.
CricInfo - Taibu lines up for Namibia