Kudzai Maunze

Kudzai Maunze a consistently improving, mature all-rounder from Zimbabwe. A patient right-handed top order Batsman, he is also a better than useful off-spinner albeit he hadn’t bowled much until the 2017 season. Currently representing the Mashonaland Eagles first class outfit, he has captained the Province and has been a regular for them over the last couple of seasons after what was a fairly slow start to his professional career.

A genuine cricket lover, he has always had a passion for the game and even though he never played age group cricket, missing out on the U19 World Cup squad, he worked hard and made the National academy, in part because of his leadership qualities. He went on to captain the academy.

In the 2017 season, Kudzai took his game to a new level, scoring 685 runs @ 42.81 with a best of 150* against Manicaland. He also collected career best bowling figures that same season, taking home 11/81 with figures of 6-35 & 5-46 against the Midlands Rhinos. Kudzai made his first trip to the UK in summer 2018, joining Denby CC in the ECB Derbyshire Premier League. Despite not being happy with his own performance, Kudzai did score just shy of 700 runs @ 25 and 13 wickets @ 19.92, by no means disgraceful but below the standards he set himself.

He more than made up for a slow first outing in the UK and whilst his 2019 summer was a slow-ish, he came home on fire with 7 hundreds in his last 14 games, scoring 1221 runs @ 71.82 in the process with a best of 159 (136). This phenomenal effort was complimented by 38 wickets @ 17.53. His best bowling performance of 6-11 came as Wivenhoe Town CC who, when cruising at 146-3 (30), collapsed to 165 all out following his introduction into the attack.

He returned to the club in 2021 and in a strange old summer, was not as effective as he would have liked but still made some valuable contributions. He bounced back in 2022 with another Hadleigh CC return, scoring 937 runs @ 55.12 and chiming in with 18 wickets @ 23.44. He returned to Hadleigh in 2023 and was again outstanding, scoring 825 runs @ 43.42 and picking up 15 wickets for the season. 2024 was agin much the same, 764 runs @ 44.94 and 27 wickets @ 18.04 in another very tidy return.

An ECB Level 2 coach and keen to return to the UK next summer, Kudzai will be a good pick up for a UK club seeking a batting all-rounder for next summer that is keen to get actively involved in club life.