Amidst the gloom of an early exit from the ICC T20 World cup, there is a gem of a story at grassroots level. Zintle Dzidzi is the first Masiphumelele High cricketer to be picked for a Western Province cricket team. She has been selected for the WP under-16 girls team to play in the National Championships.
Zintle is a trailblazer with a humble attitude and a level head. She is a consistent performer who is a ruthlessly accurate medium pace bowler. That is her strength.
She received the news last Saturday when she was playing for the FHCC youth team. She took a hattrick that day! What a start to her next cricket chapter.
Her selection highlights again the value of having sports facilities at the school, so staff, coaches and players interact daily and there is an opportunity for every child.
Famously Zintle commented: “I chose to become a bowler as it made me concentrate every minute, and that has helped me in my academics as well’. Makhaya Ntini came to join a KFC cricket festival because he was hungry! Everyone has their own story. The only moral is the children have to be given opportunity and be allowed to develop their talent under supervision day by day.
MasiSports would like to thank the Fish Hoek Cricket Club youth programme for including Ukhanyo Primary and Masi High cricketers each Friday and for encouraging the children to play for the FHCC teams on the weekend. Thanks to Nolan Koopman, the captain the FHCC first team, with Teddy Nyali, coach Zintle and all cricketers from both Masi schools at the Ukhanyo nets.
This is such an exciting milestone for cricket in Masiphumelele. We would also like to thank WPCA for their schools league programme, which includes hard ball and KFC cricket. That enables social cohesion and promotes gender equality.
The addition of the Ingrid Wheeler fields has assisted in developing a WP under-10 girl athlete, an under-12 WP boy rugby player and now a WP under-16 girl cricketer for the first time. More importantly, 1 910 kids do PT and over 800 kids play sport or take part in after-school activities. There is a place for everyone.
Well done Zintle! We are all so proud of you.