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Madibaz cricketers aiming for national club champs win

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The Mecer Madibaz cricket team will represent Eastern Province at the National Cricket Club Championships in Pretoria from April 22 to 27.

The NMMU first eleven qualified for the tournament by winning the Nelson Mandela Bay Cricket Board Premier League earlier this month.

The team are no strangers to the national competition, having won it in 2009 and 2011.

The tournament sees a total of 12 teams who have won their respective local leagues competing across two pools.

“We have a really young and exciting team and I am looking forward to see how they perform this week,” said Madibaz head coach Baakier Abrahams.

“There are no easy games in this type of tournament so it will be important to take it game by game and assess the week as it progresses.”

Abrahams said that all five of NMMU’s round-robin matches would be tough because their opponents were all champions in their own right.

“We will be focusing on one match at a time. Every team is capable of beating another and this makes it a very exciting tournament to be part of.”

He said that the major goal was to be able to play an exciting and consistent brand of cricket while allowing players the freedom to express themselves in high-level competition.

“The primary expectation is evaluating the growth of the players and the value they add to the team in terms of skills and team dynamic.

“This tournament will essentially be the end of the 2014/15 season and the team and management are really looking to round off the season on a positive note,” he said.

Abrahams said former SA Schools cricketer Matthew Christensen and EP players Lloyd Brown and Curtis Samboer would be three of the names to watch out for.

“We are fortunate once again to have a good mix of youth and experience and I am excited to see how our up-and-coming stars will perform.”

The Madibaz will take on Burma Lads CC at the Groenkloof Oval on Wednesday, followed by a clash against Assupol Tuks at Sinovich Park on Thursday.

On Friday, they take on the University of the Free State at the Tuks Oval, followed by Stellenbosch University at the Tshwane University of Technology Oval on Saturday.

Their last round-robin fixture will be against NWU-Pukke CC on Sunday, with the final taking place on Monday, also at TUT.

Madibaz Cricket 1st XI
The Mecer Madibaz cricket team will represent Eastern Province at the National Cricket Club Championships in Pretoria from April 22 to 27. Photo: Supplied.
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Alan Straton

Chief Cook, Bottle Washer and Broom Mechanic at MyPE
Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." See more articles by Alan.