The Howa Bowl was a first-class cricket

First-class cricket

First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...

 competition in South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

 that ran from the 1972-73 to 1990-91 cricket seasons. Originally known as the Dadabhay Trophy, it was contested between Eastern Province

Eastern Province cricket team

Eastern Province cricket team is the team representing the Eastern Province in domestic first-class cricket in South Africa.-Honours:* Currie Cup - 1988–89, 1991–92; shared - 1989–90* Standard Bank Cup - 1989–90, 1991–92...

, Natal, Transvaal and Western Province

Western Province cricket team

Western Province cricket team is the team representing Western Cape province in domestic first-class cricket in South Africa. The team began playing in January 1890 and its main venue has always been Newlands in Cape Town.-Honours:...

.

Running alongside the South African apartheid years, the Howa Bowl was limited to non white players, who weren't permitted to compete in the Currie Cup

SuperSport Series

The SuperSport Series is the main domestic first class cricket competition in South Africa, first contested in 1889-90. From 1990-91 it became known as the Castle Cup, and from 1996-97 by its current title...

. It was organised by the South African Cricket Board and the matches were played over three days. The pitches used in the competition were poor quality, which is highlighted by the fact that a team passed 400 in an innings just six times while falling for under 100 on 87 occasions.

In the early 1990s, when South Africa's sporting isolation ended and the United Cricket Board (UCB) was formed, the Howa Bowl ended as did any racial divide in the nation's cricket competitions. Although the matches hadn't been given first-class status at the time, the UCB requested them to be and records were amended to include the 216 Howa Bowl matches as well as seven other representative matches between 'non white' teams. This meant that West Indian Test cricketer Rohan Kanhai

Rohan Kanhai

Rohan Bholalall Kanhai is a former West Indian Cricket player of Indo-Guyanese descent. He is widely considered as one of the best batsmen of the 1960s. Kanhai featured in several great West Indian teams, playing with, among others, Sir Garfield Sobers, Roy Fredericks, Lance Gibbs, and Alvin...

, who played early in the competition with success, moved past Plum Warner

Plum Warner

Sir Pelham Francis Warner MBE , affectionately and better known as Plum Warner, or even "the Grand Old Man" of English cricket was a Test cricketer....

 on the list of all time leading first-class run scorers and joined his former teammate Gary Sobers on 86 hundreds. Furthermore two instances of the rare dismissal - Out handled ball

Handled the ball

Handled the ball is a method of dismissal in the sport of cricket.-Definition:Law 33 of the Laws of cricket provides that:"Either batsman is out Handled the ball if he wilfully touches the ball while in play with a hand or hands not holding the bat unless he does so with the consent of the opposing...

, were added to the records.

Champions by season

The Howa Bowl was dominated by Western Province, who won 13 of the 18 seasons outright, and shared another with Natal. Of the remaining four seasons, Eastern Province won 3 and Transvaal won 1.
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Tournament	Winner	Leading run-scorer	Leading wicket-taker
1972/73	Western Province Western Province cricket team Western Province cricket team is the team representing Western Cape province in domestic first-class cricket in South Africa. The team began playing in January 1890 and its main venue has always been Newlands in Cape Town.-Honours:...   Natal	Sedick Conrad (447)	Ismail Ebrahim (33)
1973/74	Western Province Western Province cricket team Western Province cricket team is the team representing Western Cape province in domestic first-class cricket in South Africa. The team began playing in January 1890 and its main venue has always been Newlands in Cape Town.-Honours:...	Moosa Mangera (360)	Keith Barker (26)
1974/75	Transvaal	Rohan Kanhai Rohan Kanhai Rohan Bholalall Kanhai is a former West Indian Cricket player of Indo-Guyanese descent. He is widely considered as one of the best batsmen of the 1960s. Kanhai featured in several great West Indian teams, playing with, among others, Sir Garfield Sobers, Roy Fredericks, Lance Gibbs, and Alvin...  (460)	Saait Magiet (28)
1975/76	Western Province Western Province cricket team Western Province cricket team is the team representing Western Cape province in domestic first-class cricket in South Africa. The team began playing in January 1890 and its main venue has always been Newlands in Cape Town.-Honours:...	Yacoob Omar Yacoob Omar Yacoob Omar is a former South African first-class cricketer who played for Natal, mostly in Howa Bowl matches....  (435)	Howard Bergins (30)
1976/77	No competition
1977/78	Western Province Western Province cricket team Western Province cricket team is the team representing Western Cape province in domestic first-class cricket in South Africa. The team began playing in January 1890 and its main venue has always been Newlands in Cape Town.-Honours:...	Yacoob Omar Yacoob Omar Yacoob Omar is a former South African first-class cricketer who played for Natal, mostly in Howa Bowl matches....  (498)	Armien Jabaar (24)
1978/79	Eastern Province Eastern Province cricket team Eastern Province cricket team is the team representing the Eastern Province in domestic first-class cricket in South Africa.-Honours:* Currie Cup - 1988–89, 1991–92; shared - 1989–90* Standard Bank Cup - 1989–90, 1991–92...	Yacoob Omar Yacoob Omar Yacoob Omar is a former South African first-class cricketer who played for Natal, mostly in Howa Bowl matches....  (381)	Rushdi Magiet (27)
1979/80	Western Province Western Province cricket team Western Province cricket team is the team representing Western Cape province in domestic first-class cricket in South Africa. The team began playing in January 1890 and its main venue has always been Newlands in Cape Town.-Honours:...	Graham Francois (317)	Lefty Adams (40)
1980/81	Western Province Western Province cricket team Western Province cricket team is the team representing Western Cape province in domestic first-class cricket in South Africa. The team began playing in January 1890 and its main venue has always been Newlands in Cape Town.-Honours:...	Rashaad Musson (467)	E Frans (39)
1981/82	Western Province Western Province cricket team Western Province cricket team is the team representing Western Cape province in domestic first-class cricket in South Africa. The team began playing in January 1890 and its main venue has always been Newlands in Cape Town.-Honours:...	Neil Fortune (448)	Mustapha Khan (39)
1982/83	Western Province Western Province cricket team Western Province cricket team is the team representing Western Cape province in domestic first-class cricket in South Africa. The team began playing in January 1890 and its main venue has always been Newlands in Cape Town.-Honours:...	Mansoor Abdullah (270)	Vincent Barnes Vincent Barnes Vincent Alexander Barnes is a former South African first-class cricketer who played for Western Province and Transvaal....  (41)
1983/84	Western Province Western Province cricket team Western Province cricket team is the team representing Western Cape province in domestic first-class cricket in South Africa. The team began playing in January 1890 and its main venue has always been Newlands in Cape Town.-Honours:...	N Edwards (338)	Armien Jabaar (30)
1984/85	Eastern Province Eastern Province cricket team Eastern Province cricket team is the team representing the Eastern Province in domestic first-class cricket in South Africa.-Honours:* Currie Cup - 1988–89, 1991–92; shared - 1989–90* Standard Bank Cup - 1989–90, 1991–92...	Garth Cuddumbey (313)	Stephen Draai (32)
1985/86	Eastern Province Eastern Province cricket team Eastern Province cricket team is the team representing the Eastern Province in domestic first-class cricket in South Africa.-Honours:* Currie Cup - 1988–89, 1991–92; shared - 1989–90* Standard Bank Cup - 1989–90, 1991–92...	Haroon Lorgat Haroon Lorgat Haroon Lorgat is a South African, of Indian origin, businessman and chartered accountant. He was appointed Chief Executive of the International Cricket Council in April 2008 and assumed office on 4 July 2008, succeeding Malcolm Speed, an Australian.Lorgat was an executive director of Kapela...  (417)	Vincent Barnes Vincent Barnes Vincent Alexander Barnes is a former South African first-class cricketer who played for Western Province and Transvaal....  (36) T le Roux (36) Jack Manack Jack Manack Abdulhack Ahmed 'Jack' Manack is a former South African first-class cricketer who played for Transvaal and Western Province in the Howa Bowl....  (36)
1986/87	Western Province Western Province cricket team Western Province cricket team is the team representing Western Cape province in domestic first-class cricket in South Africa. The team began playing in January 1890 and its main venue has always been Newlands in Cape Town.-Honours:...	Saait Magiet (335)	Vincent Barnes Vincent Barnes Vincent Alexander Barnes is a former South African first-class cricketer who played for Western Province and Transvaal....  (42)
1987/88	Western Province Western Province cricket team Western Province cricket team is the team representing Western Cape province in domestic first-class cricket in South Africa. The team began playing in January 1890 and its main venue has always been Newlands in Cape Town.-Honours:...	Faiek Davids Faiek Davids Faiek Davids is a former South African first class cricketer. A big hitting lower to middle order batsman, he played with Western Province and Boland during the 1990s, after earlier appearing in the Howa Bowl....  (429)	Jack Manack Jack Manack Abdulhack Ahmed 'Jack' Manack is a former South African first-class cricketer who played for Transvaal and Western Province in the Howa Bowl....  (28)
1988/89	Western Province Western Province cricket team Western Province cricket team is the team representing Western Cape province in domestic first-class cricket in South Africa. The team began playing in January 1890 and its main venue has always been Newlands in Cape Town.-Honours:...	Faiek Davids Faiek Davids Faiek Davids is a former South African first class cricketer. A big hitting lower to middle order batsman, he played with Western Province and Boland during the 1990s, after earlier appearing in the Howa Bowl....  (436)	Jack Manack Jack Manack Abdulhack Ahmed 'Jack' Manack is a former South African first-class cricketer who played for Transvaal and Western Province in the Howa Bowl....  (26)
1989/90	Western Province Western Province cricket team Western Province cricket team is the team representing Western Cape province in domestic first-class cricket in South Africa. The team began playing in January 1890 and its main venue has always been Newlands in Cape Town.-Honours:...	Andre Peters (363)	Jack Manack Jack Manack Abdulhack Ahmed 'Jack' Manack is a former South African first-class cricketer who played for Transvaal and Western Province in the Howa Bowl....  (27)
1990/91	Western Province Western Province cricket team Western Province cricket team is the team representing Western Cape province in domestic first-class cricket in South Africa. The team began playing in January 1890 and its main venue has always been Newlands in Cape Town.-Honours:...	Nazeem White (407)	Jack Manack Jack Manack Abdulhack Ahmed 'Jack' Manack is a former South African first-class cricketer who played for Transvaal and Western Province in the Howa Bowl.... (31)