AfricaPress-Tanzania: THE national cricket team Head Coach, Steve Tikolo hopes that his youthful squad will perform well in the upcoming International Cricket Council (ICC) tournament.
The squad will play in the ICC U nder-19 African Qualifier Division 2, scheduled to take place in Dar es Salaam next year.
“We are training with the boys on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at TCA Academy grounds in Muhimbili and I’m happy with how they are responding to the training regimes…they will surely compete to impress in the forthcoming competition,” Tikolo noted.
“Apart from the group of youth players training at Muhimbili, the other category of young players are upgrading themselves at various development camps located in Mwanza, Tanga, Morogoro and Arusha,” he added.
To ensure that the team is well sharpened before the commencement of the tournament, the Tanzania Cricket Association (TCA) launched TCA Development League with a purpose of strengthening the U -19 team.
The league which is played in 40- over format takes place every Saturday and involves five teams whereby four of them are for men, while the other is for women.
On Saturday, Kinondoni will meet Lions Academy in the final match to be staged at the Leaders Club ground. Lion Academy are commanding the table with six points and 1.40 net run rates.
At the second place was Kinondoni Development, which tied on points with leaders but are behind on inferior 1.13 net run rates. Both teams won three matches and lost one.
Upanga Warriors are third after registering four points and 1.24 net run rates. Ilala Boys are positioned fourth after bagging two points and -0.16 net run rates. At the bottom are TCA woman, without a point.
Tikolo further noted that what the boys have showed from the league is great as it brings hope plus displaying real talents.
According to the coach, the aim to involve young players in the teams together with top senior players from division one was to help them gain experience.
