Dumisani Mankunzini
Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
THE stage is set for the first edition of the Dumisani Mankunzini Cricket Initiative (DMCI) Under-14 tournament at Christian Brothers College (CBC) today and tomorrow.
Milton High, Hamilton, Petra, Founders, Goldridge, Churchill, Kyle College, Prince Edward, Jameson, Mutare Boys, Marondera High and CBC are all taking part in the event.
Mankunzini, founder of the DMCI that has been holding annual tournaments for primary schools at Baines Junior since 2012 and the brains behind the Under-14 event, said they are ready for the competition.
“This tournament is the beginning of greater things we are planning in creating development competitions for the Under-14s, who have been missing out on cricket a lot. In future we want this tournament to start at provincial level to make it more of a national competition.
This will afford aspiring cricketers from all corners of the country [an opportunity] to play the sport. We also want to track some of the boys that came through our Baines Junior Winter Cricket Festival,” said Mankunzini.
Some of the cricketers expected to feature in the tournament are Milton High’s Takudzwa Takarusenga and the Prince Edward duo of Butshilo Ncube and Tendai Takavengwa. Ncube is also the opening batsman of the national Under-15 team.
Mankunzini said they had secured a trophy, $500 and playing kit donated by Intercape for the tournament winners.
Individual accolades are being sponsored by Trophies and Awards.