ALEXANDRA Sports Club's Under-15 coach Cleven Mberende and club chairperson Hammad Babar have paid tribute to parents, players and partners after the team's win in the inaugural National Premier League U15 final in Kwekwe.
Alex beat Amakhosi by six wickets at Kwekwe Sports Club on Friday, chasing down 111 after bowling Amakhosi out for 110. Easa Butt, son of Zimbabwe T20I captain Sikandar Raza, took four wickets for 43 runs and was named Man of the Match in the final. Captain Reyaansh Maramreddy hit 39 off 16 balls and finished as both Player of the Tournament and Batsman of the Tournament. Arnold Rwatiringa was Alex's pick of the bowlers, finishing the tournament with 11 wickets.
Head coach Mberende reflected on the campaign with a smile on his face.
"I'm proud of how the boys handled the pressure in a final. What made this special was the support system around them. The parents were there every step, the players bought into the work, and the coaching staff stayed committed," Mberende told NewsDay Sport.
"A big thank you to Energy Park for backing us, and to Zimbabwe Cricket for putting together such a developmental and well-coordinated tournament. This kind of exposure at club level is exactly what these boys need."
Club chairperson Babar said the win was about more than the result.
"For Alexandra Sports Club to win the first NPL U15 is a milestone, but the bigger picture is the growth we've seen," said Babar.
"We've had good individual performances, Reyaansh with the bat, Arnold with 11 wickets, and Easa stepping up in the final. Credit to the coaches and parents. Tournaments like this, organised by ZC, give our youngsters proper competitive cricket and a clear pathway."
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The inaugural NPL U15 forms part of ZC's drive to strengthen the pathway from grassroots and age-group cricket into elite domestic structures.
