A DETERMINED Midlands Province A-team put to an end Harare A-team's 20-year dominance of the Filande Midlands Amateur Championships at Rowland Park in Zvishavane over the weekend. The Harare team, made up mainly of national team players, was forced into a sudden death play-off by the Midlanders in their Zvishavane backyard.

The Midlands team, whose players are mainly from Triangle, Hippo, Gweru and Zvishavane, went into Sunday's final round tied on six points with Harare A-team while Harare B team was leading on seven.

After the final round, all the three teams were on 10,5 points, resulting in a playoff.

The first play-off was on holes one, six and nine and Harare B fell by the wayside to force a sudden death playoff between the eventual winners Midlands A and Harare A.

The two teams battled on holes 10, 11 and 12 and the defending champions Harare A were beaten on the last hole. Harare A went into the tournament as favourites, and justifiably so.

Led by Ben Follet-Smith, they had good players like Clive Nguru, Brett and Grant Hudson, Travis Smith and Tonderai Masunga.

Harare province president, Boniface Chigorimbo, hailed Midlands' spirit.

"It has been long since I saw the character which the players from Midlands showed in the event," said Chigorimbo.