Chronicle Editor
Brandon Moyo, Sports Reporter
Bulawayo cricket club, Gampu Lions are determined to move a step further in the Bulawayo Metropolitan Cricket Association (BMCA) and qualify to the first league this coming season after falling short last season despite having an impressive season.
Founded in 2015, Gampu Lions got affiliated to BMCA in the same year and they started plying their trade in league three. They then got promotion to the second league after two seasons and now they wish to make it to league one.
Brandon Ndlovu, the club’s media manager, said they now have the experience to compete with the best in the city.
Some of the teams playing in the first league include Amakhosi which boasts the services of national team players who include Ainsley Ndlovu.
Ndlovu said they aim to strengthen their squad so as to try and get as many bonus points and maximum match winning points as possible which will be crucial if they are going to win the promotion.
The club held trials at Emakhandeni Cricket Ground on Saturday.
“As it is, we have kick started our season earlier than most teams so that our players are ready for the intensity we want to bring in our goal of securing promotion”, said Ndlovu.
The club started their preparation campaign with their first phase of trials at which they managed to select a few new players. The trials continue on Saturday at the same venue.
“This is going to be a busy transfer period for us,” added Ndlovu.
The much-needed points for promotion are allocated as follows: a win is three points, tie or no results match is a single point for both teams and for bonus points, any score above 130 gets a team one batting bonus point, over 180 is two batting points.
Bowling a team out within 20 overs gains the winners one point and bowling a team out within 16 overs results in two points gained.
The club is not only trying to push their promotion bid on the field of play but also by strengthening their back-room staff. They have appointed a welfare manager to take care of the players.
Apart from acquiring promotion to the first league, they hope to have some of their players feature in the National Premier T20 League. Two of their players have in the past trained with Amakhosi but never got the chance to play for the team.
“We want to have a large group of players representing our club there (NPL),” said Ndlovu.
The club is also appealing for sponsorship from well-wishers who are willing to help them grow into a cricketing powerhouse.
Online Reporter