THE state closed its case on Wednesday in the rape trial of national cricketer Mkhaya Ntini, SABC radio news reports. Ntini testified that he did give the complainant a lift, because she was walking in the rain. He admitted that after he picked her up he drove to Buffalo Park cricket ground to give West Indian fast bowler Vasbert Drakes money he owed. He sdaid the complainant waited in his car for about seven minutes while he went in search of Drakes. He said he then drove to Gonubie, where he dropped the complainant at some shops, and he had not seen her again until his court appearance. When asked if he forced himself on her and raped her in the way the complainant described, he replied “not in my life”.