Midlands Cricket has secured a sponsor for the season in Stanbic Bank, Zimbabwe, Limited. At a presentation during the Zimbabwe A v New Zealand game at Kwekwe in September the Managing Director of Stanbic Bank, Mr Greg Brackenridge, handed over a cheque for $ 250 000.00 to Midlands Chairman Ken Connelly.

This sponsorship is a tremendous boost for the game in the Province. Three ex-Academy player-coaches have been posted to Kwekwe - Ray Price, Doug Marillier and David Mutendera - and with the backing of Stanbic we can now transport these coaches around the Midlands as well as purchase kit for developing schools cricket. The coaches have already made a significant difference to the standard of the game here. For the first time in six years Midlands Junior Schools have been accepted into the National Inter-provincial Cricket week in December and we hope to make a good impression. The very fact that the juniors have been accepted is proof that the concept of broadening the game in this country by placing ex-Academy players in the districts is working. Unfortunately with all three of our young Coaches away with either the national side or Zimbabwe A we don’t have a coach for the squads of excellence at present, but we are working towards a more permanent solution for this.

The National League is finally under way, and Kwekwe Sports Club results are as follows.

Ist League.

15 October Kwekwe Sports Club vs Alexandra.

Kwekwe Sports Club vs Alexandra 1st XI at KKSC - 15 October 2000. Captains: Home - C. Sanders Visitors - G. Rennie. Umpires: P. Edwards, T. Savory. Scorers: C. Edwards, L. Van Greunen.

Toss won by Alex who decided to Field. RESULT: ALEX WON BY 5 WICKETS

KWEKWE 235 (48 overs) (R Price 24, A Savory 28, T Friend 36, D Houghton 55, D Hondo 33; C Anticevich 4/41, A McGuire 4/41).

ALEX 239/5 (45 overs) (G Rennie 22, Jason Vaughan-Davies 88*, E Marillier 26; John Vaughan-Davies 2/30).

Kwekwe Sports Club vs Queens 1st XI (Byo) at KKSC, 22 October 2000 Captains: Home - C Sanders, Visitors - J Rennie. Umpires: P Edwards, T Savory. Scorers: C Edwards, D Lamb

Toss won by Queens who decided to Bat 50 overs innings RESULT: QUEENS WON BY 52 RUNS

QUEENS 228/7 (50 overs) (I Engelbrecht 32, R King 20, N van Rensburg 78*; John Vaughan-Davies 2/61)

KWEKWE 177 (47.4 overs) (R Price 65, D Houghton 20, D Hondo 32; J Rennie 2/22, T Chirwa 2/38, I Engelbrecht 3/23).

This Sunday Kwekwe Sports Club take on Mutare Sports Club in Mutare.

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