Cousins start cricket club to keep Maebani youth busy

Two cousins from Maebani village have started a cricket club as a way of getting other youths involved in this sporting code, which is fairly unknown in rural areas.

Thakhani Ligaraba and Tshedza Ligaraba founded the Maebani Cricket Club on 3 June last year upon realising they had a strong passion for the sport. “Our love of cricket prompted us to start the Maebani Cricket Club, so that we can introduce a new sport to our community,” said Thakhani. “Our aim is to offer coaching and competitive opportunities in cricket, and also to get our youth off substance abuse and crime.”

Since its inception, the club has managed to recruit 15 new members - a good number, they feel, for practising and playing friendly matches among themselves.

“We are so happy that we have opened up the cricket club,” said Tshedza. “Those whom we have recruited are equally happy that they have joined us. They love this new sport that they previously only saw on TV and in movies, without understanding the game.”

They have managed to come up with funds to buy some basic cricket equipment and gear, but they still need to get set up fully. “We have a huge challenge in getting fully equipped,” Tshedza said. “We only have two bats, of which one is broken and the other is a makeshift one that we fashioned out of wood. We also have six stumps and four pads. Therefore, we are pleading with any sponsors who might believe in our vision of producing cricket players who might one day play at national level and even represent the country in international tournaments, to help us where they can.”

The club’s needs include, but are not limited to, cricket bags to hold all kit, helmets, batting pads, batting gloves, thigh pads (optional but would be useful), bats, wicket-keeper gloves, balls, arm guards, chest guards, elbow guards, a first aid kit and water bottles.

Those who wish to help Maebani Cricket Club with donations can contact them on Tel 060 650 8220 or 079 627 4660.

Date:29 May 2021

By: Tshifhiwa Mukwevho

Tshifhiwa Given Mukwevho was born in 1984 in Madombidzha village, not far from Louis Trichardt in the Limpopo Province. After submitting articles for roughly a year for Limpopo Mirror's youth supplement, Makoya, he started writing for the main newspaper. He is a prolific writer who published his first book, titled A Traumatic Revenge in 2011. It focusses on life on the street and how to survive amidst poverty. His second book titled The Violent Gestures of Life was published in 2014.

Read: 912