Chance for kids to reach for the stars
THE KFC Mini-Cricket Kids v Proteas Tour makes its final stop of the 2016/2017 season in Mthatha on Monday morning.
Zamaxolo Junior Secondary School from Idutywa won the right to take on the Proteas and they will be very excited to take on some of the country’s cricketing stars.
“The mini-cricket tour is amazing for these kids. When you are young you don’t often know what sport you want to play, so you play them all, but once they have this experience playing with their hero’s many kids decide to put most of their effort into cricket,” said tour coach and former Proteas star Mfuneko Ngam.
Ngam was meant to meet up with the kids earlier this week for a training session on Wednesday. However, a strike just outside Alice blocked the road for hours and thus he could not make it through.
“It was unfortunate for the kids that I couldn’t get through to coach them as I was really looking forward to meeting them and giving them some tips,” said Ngam.
“I will meet them at the Khaya Majola Oval in Mthatha on Monday and I will hopefully get a chance to give them some tips before the match.”
Ngam has been travelling all over the country over the past couple of months, coaching the various schools that won the competition to play against the Proteas and has been imparting his wisdom on the impressionable young players.
“I have really enjoyed the experience of going around the country and coaching the mini-cricket kids,” said Ngam.
“For me the main thing is just to see these kids running around, having fun and mingling with the Proteas players, which is a really special day for them.”
The final game of the season’s tour will now be battled out at the Khaya Majola Oval in Mthatha and the kids from Zamaxolo will be excited to get down to action.
“It’s great to have this match in Mthatha again because it is often a neglected area when it comes to cricket in the region. So to have the Proteas go down and play the kids there is really a big thing for the region. It’s a nice reminder that the Transkei is here and has a lot to offer,” said Ngam.
The Proteas team that is to play the kids has yet to be named as logistics are still being worked out due to the Momentum One Day Cup getting under way around the country over the weekend.
The match is due to get under way from 1pm and a festival atmosphere is expected.