TZANEEN – Thirteen-year-old Nsovo Nkuna of the Nkowankowa Hub Girls’ team played a pivotal role in her team’s victory at the schools’ Phase Two Northern Teams Tournament.

Nsovo delivered an outstanding performance in the opening match against Zwartkop High School, taking six wickets, four of which came in a single over. During that over, she claimed three consecutive wickets and added another on the fifth ball.

Her performance helped Nkowankowa secure a dominant win. Her coach, Blessing Mabunda, praised the Gr 8 learner from Mawawa Secondary School in N’wamitwa for her match-winning contribution. “She dominated the game,” he said.

Nkowankowa Hub Girls went on to win both their matches against Zwartkop High School and Dr EG Jansen High School, both from Gauteng, to claim the Phase Two Northern Championship title.

The team defeated Zwartkop by ten wickets in the first match and beat Dr EG Jansen by 63 runs in the final.

The victory qualifies Nkowankowa Hub Girls for the national championships, where they will represent the northern teams at the University of Pretoria in March.

Six of the top school teams in the country will compete for the national title.

Nkowankowa earned their place in the tournament after winning phase one, which was contested among Limpopo teams.

Mabunda credited the team’s success to strong support from schools, parents, and the players themselves.

“The players are self-motivated and disciplined. I don’t have to do much as a coach; they know what to do,” he said.

“What makes this team special is that we come from underprivileged backgrounds with limited resources, yet we continue to excel.

“We see cricket as a bridge between poverty and success.”