National Cricket Premier League bats off

THE 2024/25 cricket National Premier League (NPL) season is scheduled to get underway on the weekend of June 15 and 16 with seven matches lined up across the country.

This year’s tournament will be the fourth edition, with four teams set to make their debuts.

Harare Metropolitan side Rangers, Strikers from Mashonaland East, Rimuka from Mashonaland West and Knights from Masvingo are the teams that will be joining the elite league.

Bulawayo Metropolitan will be represented by Amakhosi Cricket Club, Queens Sports Club and Bulawayo Athletic Club (BAC). Amakhosi and Queens gained automatic entry to the NPL after finishing first and second respectively in the Bulawayo Metropolitan Cricket Association (BMCA), while BAC had to go through qualification play-offs.

In the opening round of games, BAC will travel to Masvingo for a date against Westside Cricket Club at Masvingo Sports Club on June 15, while Queens Sports Club will face Rainbow Cricket Club at Kwekwe Sports Club on the same day.

The following day, Mbizo Cricket Club will play host to defending champions Takashinga Patriots 1 at Takashinga Cricket Club, while Strikers face Gladiators in Marondera. Amakhosi Cricket Club will be home to Takashinga Patriots 2 at Kwekwe Sports Club, with Old Hararians Knights facing Rimuka. Scorpions will be up against Rangers at Masvingo Sports Club to round up the opening week of games.

In other cricket news, star all-rounder Sikandar Raza is set to miss some of Northamptonshire’s 2024 Vitality Blast campaign matches due to national duty. Zimbabwe is set to host India in July for a five-match T20I series in which Raza will participate.

Raza will only be available for the opening eight matches in his debut appearance in England’s T20 league. His short-term replacement in the Steelbacks’ camp is Australian Ashton Agar.

Northamptonshire’s head coach John Sadler confirmed the news, stating that it is good that Raza will be available for some of their matches.

“Obviously the Zimbabwe series was announced after we signed Sikandar which is a shame, but we’ve still got him for eight games at the start, then for the last two games and we’re very excited about that,” he said.

The Vitality Blast gets underway today and Raza’s Northamptonshire will be up against Derbyshire. – @brandon_malvin