Cricket for rural Tsholotsho

Ricky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter
NEMANE Adventist High School in rural Tsholotsho is determined to develop into a sporting school of excellence through the utilisation of facilities provided by the Matabeleland Tuskers Cricket Franchise.

The school will next week host a two-day district cricket tournament featuring Tshabanda High and Dinyane High schools.

Nemane Adventist High sports director Xolani Mumba said preparations were on course and was hopeful that more schools from Matabeleland North Province would accept the invitation.

“We are planning a big tournament and we want it to be a memorable one. As of now, we only have three confirmed schools and we are waiting for others to notify us before the end of the week,” said Mumba.

In 2012, Matabeleland Tuckers identified the Seventh-day Adventist-run school as one of its cricket development centres (CDCs) and built a concrete wicket for the institution. Three concrete wickets were also constructed at Victoria Falls primary schools Kings, Baobab and Chinotimba.

The Bulawayo-based cricket franchise also gave Nemane Adventist three bats and two sets of gloves after noticing that they were using bats made from the school’s woodwork workshop.

Driven by passion, the pupils’ parents pooled together resources and bought second hand cricket equipment from South Africa.

“Our cricket project started in 2011 but most of the people had a negative attitude at the beginning. The children started appreciating the sport after Matabeleland Tuskers Cricket Franchise had invited them to watch some of the matches. We were using the football ground for cricket but after getting a concrete wicket, we’ve been playing lots of cricket,” said Mumba.

“Having our own facility has seen our students developing into complete cricketers. They can now effectively compete. Hopefully one day we will produce great cricketers that will make the nation proud.”

Matabeleland Tuskers area manager Vumi Moyo is impressed with development of the sport in the region.

“Nemane students are good with bowling and what we have to do is send bowling coaches to help them perfect that art. They seem to be content with blocking,” Moyo said.