KZN Cricket Union celebrates 25 years
The Kwa-Zulu Natal Cricket Union celebrated a milestone 25 years on Monday.
CRICKET as a sport in KwaZulu-Natal celebrated an important milestone when it commemorated 25 years of unification and the establishment of the KwaZulu-Natal Cricket Union this week.
The cricket authority reaffirmed its commitment to continue increasing the game’s reach to all corners of the province.
Negotiations between the non-racial Natal Cricket Board and The Natal Cricket Association gave birth to the KwaZulu-Natal Cricket Union (KZNCU), a single controlling body for cricket in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, on 23 May 1991, paving the way for all to enjoy the great game.
“Unification was a major milestone, not only for our sport, but our country as a whole and the progress we have made since then has been fantastic,” says KZNCU President, Faeez Jaffar. “25 years later, the KZNCU is proud of what it has achieved.”
“Together with winning a number of trophies at all levels of the game, the Union has proudly helped produce Protea cricketers, both male and female, many of them homegrown in KZN, while there have also been a number from the Union who have gone on to be appointed as captains, umpires, coaches, presidents and selectors for Cricket South Africa (CSA).
“The KZNCU has been at the forefront of development in cricket – testament to its successful township cricket development programme
that has received many accolades and has been mirrored across other regions.
Prior to the South African domestic cricket scene’s adoption of the Franchise system in 2004/05 and the emergence of the Dolphins, the Union’s premiere team – KwaZulu-Natal – claimed its first post-unification trophy when the Jonty Rhodes-lead outfit clinched the 1994/95 Castle Cup crown.
“The sporting world has evolved greatly since the early 90s with the pinnacle of the sport having become ever more professional year on year,” said Sunfoil Dolphins CEO, Pete de Wet.
“We have some exciting plans in the pipeline for the coming year as we look to mark this significant milestone and celebrate all that it stands for cricket in KwaZulu-Natal,” he added.
