adminEMAKHANDENI are the Bulawayo Metropolitan Cricket Association First League champions.
It is the second season in a row that Emakhandeni have been declared the champions after they finished tied on points with Bulawayo Athletic Club last season only to clinch the league on a technicality.
Amakhosi, led by off spinner John Nyumbu finished on top of the four-team log standings with 66 points.
They recorded 11 wins, one defeat and one rained off match. BAC came second points 46 points — eight recorded wins, four losses and one rained off fixture. Queens Sports Club took third spot with 25 points while Roosters ended bottom of the log on 16 points. Besides Nyumbu, Emakhandeni have other well established players like Brian Chari, Cunningham Ncube, Steve Chimhamhiwa and Thabo Mboyi. The Queens Sports Club second team won the Second League while the third league went to the BAC second team.
BMCA fixtures secretary Victor Mhlanga said with one last round of fixtures for the four teams which had no effect on how the league was going to end, it was decided that the league should come to an end.
The conclusion of the First League must have come as a relief for the clubs who despite having no reliable source of funding were now required to provide their own cricket playing balls as well as pay the umpires on top of feeding their own players since the Vumindaba Moyo-led BMCA failed to secure a sponsor for the league.
He said the season will now take a break with an Under-19 league coming into play with teams selected to play every fortnight.
Bongani Ndlovu