South Africa Domestic: Maritzburg split

The proposal for the acceptance of the inland region of KwaZulu- Natal as a full affiliate of the United Cricket Board will be brought before the national body once again this year, with the full backing of the Natal Cricket Union.

At a joint presentation of the bid hosted by Maritzburg Cricket Association president Mike Hickson and KZNCU chief Robbie Kurz at Kingsmead, an impressive motivating portfolio, including in-depth financial and development plans, was unveiled.

`The thought that those beyond the tollgate should have their own provincial status has been there for many years, but was never actively pursued. But, encouraged by last year's narrow failure to win over the other UCB affiliates, it has been decided to renew the application,' Kurz said. `We believe another affiliate in this big province is the way to go for both the economic and developmental good of the game in KwaZulu-Natal. Although we don't anticipate unanimous approval for our bid, we believe it is most practical. The inland region's ambitions are relatively modest and, as such, are very attainable,' Kurz said.

Even though they missed out by just one vote last year, their bid being caught up in the political intrigue that marked the 1999 UCB annual general meeting, the MCA have not sat back and merely churned out the same proposal this year.

One of the main concerns, the financial viability of a separate provincial entity based in Pietermaritzburg, has been removed by the drawing up of an independent business plan under the chairmanship of Andrew Layman, the director of the Pietermaritzburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

`The financial projections for the first five years indicate that the inland union would be financially viable from the first year without a major sponsor,' Hickson, himself a university economics lecturer, said yesterday. `We will obviously seek sponsorships, but the UCB allocation would be enough and we may even get money from the upcoming World Cup.'

A comprehensive development plan has also been added to the bid, but Hickson stressed that the main argument for separate provincial status remains an issue of discrimination.

`KZN is by far the biggest province, yet we are the only province with just a single UCB affiliate. We are consequently being badly dealt with in terms of UCB expenditure - the next worse off affiliate gets double the amount we do. The UCB proceeds need to be spread more evenly.'

The split has the full support of all nine sub-unions within the KwaZulu-Natal Cricket Union and would see Far North, Northern Natal, Midlands, Southern Districts and East Griqualand joining Maritzburg, while Zululand, North Coast and Southern Natal would remain with Durban. Both Hickson and Kurz said the bid will not hurt Natal cricket.

`It's not a split as such - they will still be part of KwaZulu- Natal - but rather something along the lines of Western Province and Boland, or Free State and Griquas. The bid actually fits in very well with our plans to restructure Natal cricket and will further our aims of better representation and better management of the sub-unions,' Kurz said.

`We won't weaken Natal cricket. The only players we will attract away from Durban will be surplus ones and we are well aware that we will need to build up our player strength,' Hickson added.

The motivating portfolio has been sent to all the other provinces ahead of a UCB meeting on May 27, when the KZNCU will make a presentation. There will then be some weeks of canvassing before the proposal will be voted on at the UCB AGM at the end of July.

`We believe that there is a better climate for the application this year, but with all the internal politics you never know how it will go until the actual vote,' Kurz admitted.

An ever-optimistic Hickson did say, however, that the new union would be `ready to go for the 2000/01 season' and an interim `Inland KZN' Cricket Board has already been inaugurated.

Hickson and his fellow crusaders have been cheered by the news that the UCB have allocated the three-day tour game between Sri Lanka and Natal from December 19-21 to the Oval in Pietermaritzburg, with the picturesque ground still in the running to host a World Cup game, along with Potchefstroom and Kimberley.