19 schools to take part in cricket tourney

The competition will run for three weeks with the finals set for 7 July at Emakhandeni Cricket Club.

Victor Mhlanga, the Matabeleland Tuskers Cricket Franchise assistant area manager said the Champions of Champions tournament was being sponsored by the franchise’s chief executive officer, Stanley Staddon.

He said the games were part of Matabeleland Tuskers Cricket Franchise’s development programme.

“We are hoping to have 19 schools participating in the Champions of Champions. In our last competition, which was the Africa Day tournament, we had 19 schools taking part and the number is likely to increase this time.

“It is at such tournaments that stars are born. Seamers Christopher Mpofu and Njabulo Ncube, who are with the national team now, were discovered playing at schools competitions and look where they are now. We also have John Nyumbu and Tawanda Mupariwa who have been called for the Zimbabwe A camp who also passed through these development competitions,” said Mhlanga.

He was hopeful that they would unearth gems out of the players that will compete in the tournament.
Mhlanga said seven girls’ teams will also participate in the tournament.

Last weekend the Bulawayo girls beat Matabeleland North in two Twenty20 matches that were played at the ceremonial home of cricket, Queens Sports Club.

The Bulawayo Metropolitan Province’s squad is drawn from Emakhandeni Secondary School, Luveve High School, Pumula High School, McKeurtan Primary School and Mpopoma High School.

“We are impressed with the number of girls who are playing cricket in Bulawayo. We have about seven schools playing the sport which means that there are at least 77 players involved in cricket which is a good number. With funds permitting, we might have two Matabeleland North Province girls’ teams coming for the tournament,” said Mhlanga.

Matabeleland Tuskers Cricket Franchise chief operations officer Samu Nkiwane said they were not going back with their developmental programmes.

“Our development programme is going ahead and the good thing is that we have schools which are a foundation for the sport being involved in cricket. We have been to schools in Matabeleland North to check and put up cricket facilities and now we are in Bulawayo reviving cricket at the different schools,” said Nkiwane.