INTERNATIONAL cricket is coming to York. York Cricket Academy, formerly known as Dunnington Indoor Cricket Centre, opens its doors tomorrow and a Zimbabwean international is the man at the helm.

Piet Rinke has been appointed the manager at the new venture and has big plans for the former warehouse.

Rinke played 18 one-day internationals for Zimbabwe, with a top score of 72, and toured the West Indies in 2006. He currently plays for Scarborough in the Oxbridge Yorkshire ECB County Premier League.

A full-time coach, Rinke wants the new York Academy to rival Leeds for the development of players and plans to host regular batting and bowling master-classes, fielding exercises as far as facilities allow, as well as one-to-one and group coaching.

“We start on Saturday with the York & District Indoor Cricket League coming here,” said Rinke.

“The David Byas Cricket Academy is also going to run from here as is the Pro-Coach Cricket Academy.

“I am trying to do a lot of work with York & District cricket development and I would like junior teams to use the facilities.

“I want to work with local cricket clubs – they are going to be my very best friends.”

Rinke has begun the task of putting together a coaching team who will help him with the bid to train York and North Yorkshire’s next cricketing superstars.

And he will be employing the latest techniques in order to develop young talent.

“There will be a coaching team here to deliver specialist courses,” he said.

“The courses are going to be a lot more technical. We will be taking video footage and there will be complete analysis of full mechanics.

“We will be offering a facility which also caters for the development of individuals.”

Rinke is hosting a sale of junior cricket equipment at the academy this weekend, with items half price, and the centre will also be available to hire for parties, functions and corporate events.

For more information, phone Rinke on 07515 642531.