AS the clock ticks closer to the third edition of the National Premier League (NPL), cricket fans across Zimbabwe hold their breath in anticipation.
This weekend, 14 teams will take to the pitch, each with an eye on the coveted top spot in the nation’s supreme cricket showdown.
Last season’s title holders, the Gladiators, are set to open their campaign this Saturday against Rainbow at the revered Old Hararians Sports Club. Hot on their heels are last year’s silver medalists, Westside, who are set to square off against Amakhosi at the Masvingo Sports Club.
This edition of the NPL promises a busy Sunday with five engaging matches lined up. Queens Sports Club will host Mbizo Cricket Club, while Uprising and Bulawayo Athletic Club clash at the Kwekwe Sports Club. Old Hararians will welcome cricket enthusiasts once more when Mutare Sports Club takes on Kadoma Cricket Club. Meanwhile, Masvingo Sports Club is all set for the showdown between Scorpions and Golden Bulls.
Topping off the opening day action is the much-awaited Takashinga derby – a battle between Patriots 1 and Patriots 2 at their shared home ground in Highfield.
Zimbabwe Cricket fans should mark their calendars for 9 – 10 August, when the next round of games will be played at various iconic national venues.
This year, the NPL has taken a grand turn. The total number of teams has been raised to 14 following a conscious decision by Zimbabwe Cricket to broaden the reach of this top-flight club cricket competition. Now, men’s teams from all 10 provinces in the country have a shot at glory.
The enlargement allowed nine teams to qualify directly based on their stellar performances in their provincial club championships. The remaining five spots were decided through nerve-racking playoffs.
From the Harare Metropolitan, Gladiators, Uprising, Takashinga Patriots 1, and Rainbow booked their tickets directly to the NPL. Amakhosi and Queens Sports Club nabbed the spots from the Bulawayo Metropolitan.
The provinces of Manicaland, Masvingo, and Midlands each contributed one direct qualifier – Westside, Scorpions, and Mbizo, respectively.
Rounding off the expanded line-up, Takashinga Patriots 2 (Harare Metropolitan), Mutare Sports Club (Manicaland), Bulawayo Athletic Club (Bulawayo Metropolitan), Golden Bulls (Matabeleland South), and Kadoma Cricket Club (Mashonaland West) survived the cutthroat playoffs to secure their positions in the tournament.
As the NPL prepares to unfurl, Zimbabwe braces for what promises to be an unforgettable cricket spectacle.
