The R500 000 sponsorship deal will enable EP Cricket to focus on developing the sport within primary schools and community clubs across the province.

One initiative will focus on clubs linked to a local KFC restaurant. Clubs will benefit from coaching clinics by professional coaches and Warriors players. The investment is designed to encourage participation, grow club memberships and to mentor and encourage future stars.

As part of the investment in grassroots cricket, 100 schools will be invited to participate in the KFC T20 tournament, which will run across January and February 2016. Building on KFC mini cricket, the tournament is designed to reinvigorate cricket within the region’s primary schools.

Commenting on the partnership, Fayyaz Moosa, CEO of KFC Eastern Cape says; “We are proud to announce KFC’s further commitment to Eastern Province cricket. Already active within mini cricket activities we take this involvement further and with EP Cricket, will be identifying young talent and ensuring they receive the right coaching as they emerge from mini to hard-ball cricket."

“We are looking forward to another rewarding collaboration,” he says. “This synergy underlines our unyielding focus on excellence and in leveraging cricket to benefit the communities in which we have outlets.”

EP Cricket CEO Jesse Chellan says; “We are delighted to deepen our relationship with KFC Eastern Cape. We have been consistently very impressed with the support we have received to date from KFC on a national level with our mini cricket partnership. This relationship will now be continued on a local level and Fayyaz and his dedicated team will be working closely with us, and we are excited about the potential for us to grow this partnership for the benefit of our province’s cricket.”

For more information, visit www.kfc.co.za. Alternatively connect with them on Facebook or on Twitter.