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Ronald Mashinga, Sports Reporter

MTSHINGWE Primary School won the two-day Old Mutual Heath Streak Cricket Academy Trust Colts League at the weekend.

Baines Primary, Greenfield, Mzilikazi, Mgiqika, Portland, REPS, Indlovu Iyanyathela, SOS, Mkhithika, Josiah Chinamano, Insukamini, St Thomas Aquinas, Milton Junior, Tuskers Development and hosts Heath Streak Academy participated in the competition.

Mtshingwe amassed 17 points and were followed by Indlovu Iyanyathela with 14 points.

Tawanda Netse from Baines was named player of the tournament after he scored 28 runs, took two wickets, made one catch and a run-out. He also won the best fielder of the tournament.

Shaun Gwenya from Josiah Chinamano won batsman of the tournament for his 35 runs, while Tengesai Mbokodo from Mtshingwe was the bowler of the tournament after hauling six wickets and the wicketkeeper award went to Tusker’s Development player Mondli Mpofu.

Heath Streak, founder and president of the Old Mutual Heath Streak Cricket Academy Trust, said it’s their principal vision to give the kids exposure and groom them at the grassroots level.

“We also have big sponsors such as Old Mutual present here who continue to support our initiative and that is going to be important going forward if we are going to develop cricket and meet international standards in terms of the best facilities and coaches available,” Streak said.

The head of marketing and innovation for Old Mutual Zimbabwe, Lilian Mbayiwa, was pleased that the Colts’ League continues to grow since its inception four years ago.

“This is a very important programme for us and one of the reasons we are very proud of our participation in cricket, especially at a developmental level, is that we see the opportunity of changing our communities through cricket.

“We have so many talented boys and girls out there that are not able to get their talent recognised because they do not get such an opportunity that has been provided here by the academy. So, we are very passionate about developing the communities in which we operate and sustaining those communities through cricket,” Mbayiwa said.