SHARPEVILLE.- Sharpeville Pioneers Cricket Club is one of the few cricket clubs in the community.
The club was established through a coaching clinic project at the Sharpeville schools.
Some people who were instrumental in ensuring that the sport was introduced in the township were veteran sports administrators Joe Viljoen, Winston Motsoane, and Mike Mthembu. This was before it was fashionable for a black child to play this sport, especially from the township, since football and netball were the only sporting codes they were exposed to. The club was established in 1995 and the cricket pitch was created next to the George Thabe Stadium.
The club formed a relationship with the local institutions of higher learning such as Vaal University of Technology (VUT) and NWU Vaal as the feeder system for elite players to be integrated. The success of this programme saw nine players from the township integrated into these institutions with seven players receiving a study bursary at VUT and two to NWU Vaal.
Speaking to Sedibeng Ster Sport, Mohlomi ‘Zane’ Lehoko – a long-serving Sharpeville Pioneers Cricket Club member, said the club is now under new administrators with Marumo Molefe as chairperson. He said the club is still participating in the local Cricket Association leagues. Lehoko said the club has been promoted to the first league in the Sedibeng Cricket Association. Lehoko told Sedibeng Ster Sport that Kani Ramajoe is doing an exceptional job as the club’s head coach.
“We had to move out of Sharpeville after our cricket pitch was damaged. We wish to bring cricket back to the township again. Again, one of our objectives is to revive female cricket because we used to have it. We are currently engaging local schools to start a mini-cricket programme, which will be a feeder to the club. We are also working with Sedibeng Sports Hub to nurture talent and develop players to represent all the townships,” explained Lehoko.
