Rural tournament finals showcase talent

A CRACKING week of rural cricket awaits fans as two big traditional cricket tournament finals are set to be played over the next five days.

The annual Amacal’egusha Historical Final takes place at the Amacal’egusha Cricket Oval outside King William’s Town tomorrow, before the Ngumbela Tournament final is held in Healdtown on Sunday.

“Both the Ngumbela and Amacal’egusha tournaments are recognised nationally and we are very proud to have them both in the Border region,” said Border cricket CEO Thando Booi.

“Players travel from all over the country to come and play in them. People are always looking forward to coming back every year and it is great for development of rural cricket in the region.

“The tournaments have been going very well, with some lovely weather having played its part over the last few weeks, and we are really looking forward to the respective finals over the coming days.”

Both tournaments will be in action today as the quarterfinals and semifinals of the Amacal’egusha and the regional finals of the Ngumbela tournament are battled out.

With a number of top players from the region in action, a lot of up-andcoming hopefuls will also be hoping to catch the eye of various scouts.

“Part of our vision is to make sure that rural cricket is strong and well supported, and we are working on initiatives to ensure that rural cricket and rural schools are well supported,” added Booi.

“We want to ensure that they get equipment and that we identify facilities that need to be upgraded and maintained in the region so that these tournaments will continue to flourish in the coming years.”

Adding excitement to the Amacal’egusha tournament will be the involvement of the Border KFC Mini Cricket for the first time.

This will be a highlight for Border KFC Mini Cricket and is another way of giving youngsters the opportunity to play KFC Mini Cricket during the school holidays. It will also give parents the opportunity to see their kids, more especially in the rural areas.

“This initiative will boost the morale of young and aspiring cricketers and give them an opportunity to play where their former cricketer idols played,” said KFC Mini Cricket Provincial Co-Ordinator Border Region Mnonopeli Mfenqe.

“This event will make a mark to a lot of young cricketers and will be memorable to cricketers who played this game before, to mention but a few still alive and some passed away, like Brian Ndzundzu, Mkhululi Mfenqe, Mlungisi Ngece and Andile Sodumo. Some of the teams will be named by these former Border Village Amacal’egusha Rural Cricket players.”

A full day of knock out action will be enjoyed today, before the final of the Amacal’egusha is played tomorrow morning starting at 10am.

The final of the Ngumbela Tournament will then be played at the Ngumbela Sportsgrounds in Healdtown on Sunday from 9am.