BLESSING TAKUDZWA
MOUNTAINEERS have assembled squad reinforcements to defend their Pro50 Championship and Logan Cup trophies as the 2025/2026 domestic cricket season in Zimbabwe gets underway.
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| Mega Market Mountaineers players celebrating after clinching the 2024/25 Logan Cup title earlier this year. |
The defence will also be necessitated by a lucrative contract with food manufacturing giant Mega Market who have assumed naming rights; which will see the team serving as corporate social responsibility beneficiaries complete with brand ambassadorship.
Former Zimbabwe Cricket top order batsman Stuart Matsikenyeri will continue as head coach leading a technical team comprising of his assistant manager Donald Tiripano and player-coach Tendai Chatara.
Speaking in an interview with this publication, Matsikenyeri said he was excited to be coming into the new season and the endless possibilities this new journey in his career holds. He said, “We had a good year last year. We know that going into this season we are going to be the team to beat so it is exciting to get into a new season with such challenges ahead of us. So we are looking forward to it and raring to go.
“We are quite pleased to have retained most of our squad from last season. It’s a squad that played well together. We have got a few local boys coming back into the Mountaineers squad who include Prosper Mugeri who had been plying his trade with Mashonaland Eagles. Nigel Bonyongwe who had been playing for Southern Rocks. The experienced Kevin Kasuza makes his return home after a short tenure with the Rhinos.
“Even more exciting is the transfer of one of the nation’s most talented Under 19 batsmen in Ronak Patel who has enjoyed a fair amount of success at Scorpions and Zimbabwe Academy. We were fortunate enough to earn his signature and see him join the squad.”
The Logan Cup’s second round will be headlined by the match between Tuskers and the defending champions Mountaineers at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo. The Tuskers will be no easy feat, as they will enjoy the home advantage.
Matsikenyeri added: “It’s an absolute treat for us to be opening our season at Queens Sports Club. I feel we have a good bowling roaster with a balanced mixture of experience and youth with Tendai Chatara, Victor Nyauchi and Wellington Masakadza leading our bowling attack. I’m sure Tendai will continue the good job that he did last season backed by exciting youngsters in Anesu Kamuriwo and Fortune Mhlanga. We are also looking forward to being joined by a priced foreign contingent that will land in the country shortly.”
Tendai chatara will lead the Logan Cup matches while Wellington Masakadza will take the reins in the Pro50 Championship during the 2025/2026 season. They will be ably supported by the senior members of the group, who include Timycen Maruma, Nick Welch and Joylord Gumbie.
Mountaineers Squad:
Alistar Frost, Anesu Kamuriwo, Brian Bennett, Carlton Takawira, Definate Mawadzi, Fortune Mhlanga, Joylord Gumbie, Kevin Kasuza, Mashford Shungu, Matthew Welch, Michael Frost, Nicholas Welch, Nigel Bonyongwe, Pananshe Gwataringa, Prosper Mugeri, Ronak Patel, Spencer Magodo, Timycen Maruma, Tinashe Chiora, Victor Nyauchi, Vincent Masekesa, Wellington Masakadza
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