Nakuru County Cricket League announces landmark return
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Reading Time: 2min | Tue. 29.10.24. | 13:50
The new league will now see six teams play in a double-round-robin format for the next two-and-a-half months
The Nakuru County Cricket League announced its awaited return to action this weekend, following a six-year spell out in the cold.
The league, set up to revive cricket in Nakuru, feared for its future when leadership squabbles hit Cricket Kenya a few years ago, and was definitely up against it when normalcy crept in due to the lasting impact of COVID-19, and failure to adhere to the Sports Act.
CRICKET DEVELOPMENT
— KBC Channel1 News (@KBCChannel1) April 15, 2024
Jimmy Kamande, cricket coach: Nakuru was producing nice young cricketers. The League of Nakuru doesn’t work nowadays. The leagues of Nakuru must come back. These are the things we need to follow up on. Within 8 years, you get a complete best-team superstar… pic.twitter.com/tVW50tumVK
But on Saturday 26 October, a feeling of familiarity was back at the Rift Valley Sports Club as the league opened its doors once again, playing host to two games of a season set to run for the next two-and-a-half months.
“It's a very exciting moment for us to get the league up and running again,” Charity Wambui, who is the secretary of the Nakuru County Cricket Association, told Mozzart Sport on Tuesday.
“Nakuru is known to be a hub of cricketing talent and an opportunity to revive the game offers our youngsters an opportunity to rise to the highest levels,” she added.
In its current guise, the league will consist of six teams playing each other in a double-round-robin format on a home and away basis.
The team that finishes top of the league table will thereafter be declared champions.
Among the teams participating include: Spartans, Nakuru Kanbis, Pirates A, South Zone Development, Pirates B, and Pirates C.
On whether there would be any incentives for the winning side, Wambui said: “Our efforts were first geared towards ensuring that the league started so that we could at least have a platform to build from. However, with Hirani Telcom and other partners coming on board, we will slowly get there.”
On Saturday, Pirates A kicked off proceedings with a 38-run victory over Rift Valley Sports Club, whereas Spartans beat Nakuru Kanbis by six wickets in the second game.
One notable performance was from Pirates' James Butatila, who scored two wickets and a maiden after bowling for just three overs.
Hassan Lijodi, on the other hand, scored 38 runs while batting.
While fewer runs were scored on the opening weekend (88 for Pirates and 82 for Spartans), the expectation, as per Wambui, is that the league will improve as games ramp up.
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