The North West Cricket Board granted the North West premier, Supra Mahumapelo the freedom of Senwes Park on Sunday, 29 October, before the start of the T20 international match between South Africa and Bangladesh.
This is just another way of planting the seeds for a long-term partnership between the North West Cricket Board, JB Marks Local Municipality and the North West Provincial Government, which is aimed at upgrading the Senwes Park and ensuring cricket development in the province.
The president of the North West Cricket Board, Dr Oupa Nkagisang said the board wants to attract international games to the stadium and promote sports tourism in the province.

‘We need to improve the standard of the stadium to a level where we can begin to attract important international games that will generate revenue for us and promote sports tourism in the province. As the North West Cricket Board, Senwes Park and the local municipality, we need the assistance of the provincial government to achieve this,’ said Nkagisang.
Among other things, the cricket board wants to increase the capacity of the stadium and upgrade the existing media facility. The board also wants to have another ground to increase the number of games to be hosted and to cater for development programmes.
Nkagisang said the partnership with the provincial government will also enhance the plans of developing cricket in disadvantaged areas of the province.
‘We want to take cricket to the people as part of Premier Mahumapelo’s vision to develop the villages, townships and small dorpies (VTSD) in the province. We have already started working in Mahikeng, Lichtenburg and Vryburg and, through Cricket South Africa, we want to use these areas as development hubs for black players and host district cricket tournaments on behalf of the premier,’ said Nkagisang.