The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWEAN cricketer, Charles Kunje has signed for English club Clipstone and Bilsthorpe as the club’s overseas player for the 2022 season.
The 27-year-old Kunje, who plays for Rhinos in Zimbabwe’s domestic cricket is a top order batsman who also bowls spin. He can bowl with both arms as he bowls right arm off spin and left arm spin.
Kunje has represented the country at Under-19 level as well as Zimbabwe A.
He has performed both batting and bowling roles with great effect during three UK stints in 2015, 2018, and 2019. Kunje’s maiden trip was spent in Scotland’s Strathmore and Perthshire competition for Meigle, where he racked up 513 runs at 36.64 alongside 29 wickets at 12.28. On his return, he churned out over 1 000 runs (1,149 at 44.19) for Devon-based club Ivybridge alongside 21 wickets at 36.38.
By his own admission, he under-achieved in the Devon League, so eager to make amends he returned in 2019 and did just that. Playing for Wiltshire County League club Beckington, Kunje was the stand-out batter in the league hitting 796 runs at 88.44.
A keen, and accredited UKCC level two coach, Kunje is keen to impress on his return this season having signed with Clipstone and Bilsthorpe for their 2022 Bassetlaw and District Cricket League campaign.
Kunje becomes the latest Zimbabwean to sign for a UK club after Ainslely Ndlovu, Tinashe Chimbambo and Tiripano early this year were announced to be heading overseas during the Zimbabwean winter. -@Mdawini_29
