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Lovemore Zigara in Gweru
GWERU Cricket Club has embarked on a massive rehabilitation of Gweru Sports Club cricket pitch that will house the club’s high performance centre.

The cricket pitch and its facilities are in a deplorable state due to years of neglect which had left the Midlands capital with no such usable facility. Gweru Cricket Club chairman John Makubalo said the project is expected to cost over $100 000.

“The project is funded by Gweru Cricket Club members, who have a passion for the game, while other strategic partners are providing technical support such as engineers, curators and machinery for the project layout,” said Makubalo.

“This project will consume more than $100 000 due to the level of damage that was done to this ground 15 years ago. After completion of the project, it will be a state of the art cricket facility for a high performance centre.”

Makubalo appealed to the corporate world to partner the club in rehabilitating the ground to help attract first class cricket to the Midlands capital.

Work has already started with focus presently on the centre wicket. The ground will have an outfield practice net section and grandstands upon completion.

There will also be an embankment area, pavilion, sight screen maintenance, an electronic scoreboard and media box.

Gweru Cricket Club has been forced to play its matches in Kwekwe due to the absence of a cricket field in the Midlands capital. Zimbabwe Cricket convenor of selectors Tatendu Taibu launched the Gweru Cricket Club high performance centre earlier this month and pledged to mobilise equipment for the institution.

In 2008, the Midlands Cricket Board tried to refurbish the pitch, but the project was abandoned owing to the hyperinflationary environment at the time — @lavuzigara1.