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Ricky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter
MATABELELAND South Province hopes that the newly elected Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) board will establish cricket development centres (CDCs) in the area before the end of this year.

Matabeleland South provincial chairman Arthur Maphosa, who is in the 13-member ZC board, said cricket development in the province is lagging behind and needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency.

Maphosa, who is also the Nash vice-president, expressed concern that there was virtually no cricket activity at grassroots levels in Matabeleland South.

Cricket is only played competitively at Falcon College in Esigodini and Plumtree High School.

He said cricket had now been introduced at JZ Moyo High, Gwanda High, Mvuthu Secondary and Mzingwane High.

“Cricket is no longer an elitist sport hence the need to encourage our children across the country to take it up,” said Maphosa.

“We don’t have any of our kids playing for national teams from this part of the country and that is what we intend to address by lobbying for the establishment of CDCs at strategic schools in the province. Funds permitting, we will adopt what Matabeleland North did through Tuskers when they constructed concrete wickets at some schools,” he said.

Tuskers Cricket Franchise constructed concrete cricket wickets at Nemane High School in Tsholotsho and three Victoria Falls primary schools Kings, Baobab and Chinotimba.

Mosi-Oa-Tunya High School in Victoria Falls was also identified as a possible CDC in the province.

Maphosa said only two primary schools in Matabeleland South, Portland from Colleen Bawn and St Christopher’s in Gwanda, had cricket facilities.

“Obviously there is a need to engage national team cricketers who share almost similar backgrounds with these children to give them motivational talks so that they take cricket seriously.

“We intend to have our outreach programmes once schools open with focus being on non-sitting exam classes. Hopefully national team players will be able to encourage these youngsters to take up the sport,” said Maphosa.