Munyonga set for another stint with UK club cricket

Sports Reporter

ZIMBABWE all-rounder Tony Munyonga is set to return to the United Kingdom to play club cricket after he was unveiled by the Mote Cricket Club as their first overseas signing.

Munyonga, who was part of the Zimbabwe national team at the recent ICC T20 World Cup in Australia, has played six One Day Internationals for Zimbabwe and 13 T20Is.

The Mote Cricket Club, who are based in Maidstone in the English county of Kent, was excited by the signing of the all-rounder, who is currently playing for Mountaineers in the domestic Logan Cup first class cricket competition.

“The Mote CC would like to welcome Tony Munyonga to the club as our overseas player for 2023. Tony, 24, has played ODIs and T20I’s for Zimbabwe against Bangladesh, Australia and Ireland over the last year. This is in addition to a first class career that commenced in 2017,” the club said in a statement.

The 24-year-old’s cricket career started in November 2017, when he made his first-class debut for the Rising Stars in the Logan Cup competition.

In February 2018, he made his List A debut in Rising Star’s victorious Pro50 Championship campaign – Munyonga was named “Player of the Series”.

In April 2019, he was named in Zimbabwe’s ODI squad for their series against the United Arab Emirates, but he didn’t feature.

Instead, he headed to the UK where he played for Rockingham Colliery in the strong South Yorkshire Cricket League (Championship Division). He produced excellent returns, striking 734 runs at 43.18 and taking 31 wickets at 18.30.

The all-rounder returned to Rockingham for a second stint in 2021 and once again impressed (594 runs at 28.29 and 33 wickets at 19.88).

After his two-season stint with Rockingham, the Zimbabwean all-rounder was set to embark on a new opportunity in 2022 having signed with Astwood Bank for their Worcestershire League campaign, only for ZC to select him for national commitments.

Given he was unable to travel to the UK in 2022, he is eager to play a full club season in 2023, fresh from playing for his country in Australia at the T20 World Cup.