ZIMBABWE Under-19 and Scotland shared spoils after the ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup opener was abandoned without a match being bowled at Takashinga Cricket Club in Highfield, Harare, yesterday.
Both teams kicked off their campaign with a point each and will be looking to cash in on their next group stage matches to boost their chances of advancing to the next stage.
This morning, Takashinga will host another Group C encounter pitting England against Pakistan.
Meanwhile, the day opened with tournament director Hamilton Masakadza chronicling his roots, deep-rooted in Takashinga, while also encouraging the future stars to play with pride and team spirit.
“Today, the eyes of the world are on this ground. But to understand where we stand, we must remember where we started. This story began in 1990.
“Two young visionaries, Givemore Makoni and Stephen Mangongo, ignited a cricket revolution. They looked at the landscape of cricket and demanded a change. They wanted a home for the black community to play, to compete and to win,” Masakadza said.
“They started with nothing, but passion. They played as ‘Old Winstonians’ at Churchill High School. But a borrowed home was never enough. They wanted their own soil.
“In 2001, they planted their flag here in Highfield. They changed the name to Takashinga, meaning ‘We are brave’.
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“That name became our blood. We fought for recognition. We fought for excellence. We found allies in giants who supported our vision.”
Takashinga also unveiled new names for the iconic ground’s spectator terraces: the Emmanuel Dube stand and the Elvis Sembezeya stand, in recognition of life members Emmanuel Dube and Elvis Sembezeya.
Tournament ambassador Tatenda Taibu, Zimbabwe’s first black captain, was in attendance.
The day also saw Harare mayor Jacob Mafume join the Zimbabwe Cricket hierarchy, including chairperson Tavengwa Mukuhlani and managing director Givemore Makoni, and a host of other VIP delegates in anticipation of the
match while the fans turned out in droves.
