ABUJA – Team Kaduna swept the honours on Sunday in Abuja en route winning the 7th National Women’s Cricket Championship, with team captain Blessing Nwobodo winning two of the individual awards.
The team, who were making their first appearance at the competition’s national finals, won the competition as well as three individual awards to return home with four trophies.
In the final match of the competition played at the Abuja National Stadium, they beat hosts FCT by 31 runs to carry the day.
Kaduna had batted first to claim 135 runs and leave FCT needing 136 to upstage them.
But they equally bowled well for FCT to get 104 runs with all out at 26.1 overs.
The national finals which started on Friday had seen Kaduna beat both FCT and Anambra in their group, while Oyo won the other group after beating Niger and Edo.
In the semi-finals on Saturday, Kaduna went on to beat Edo to qualify for the final while FCT joined them by beating Oyo.
In the third-place match on Sunday, Oyo continued on the downhill by losing to Edo, the same team they beat earlier in the group phase.
Oyo however had a consolation, as Kehinde Abdulquadri won the Bowler of the Series award with 11 wickets.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that FCT also picked up two awards, in addition to the runners-up spot.
Lucy Ojobo won the Wicket Keeper of the Series award with four catches, while Seun Awonusi won the Best Behaved Player award.
Kaduna’s Mary Desmond won the Fielder of the Series award with five catches to add to Nwobodo’s two awards.
Nwobodo won the Batsman of the Series award with 134 runs, and then capped it with the Most Valuable Player Award.
A delighted coach Zeal Ibe was all over himself with joy at the end of it all, saying “I am grateful to God for helping us have success as a reward for our hard work.’’
He added it was dream come true for him as he had been looking forward to such.
“I am just a year with this team formally, having been with them during my Youth Service.
“But it has all been hard work by all members of the team, and I can only give thanks to God.
“We have not been this far, but now we are here, and we will only be looking forward for more success,’’ Ibe said.
Coach Uadiale Ehis of the FCT, on his part, said he was still happy with their performance in spite of not winning in the final.
“I am happy with my team, in spite of this. At least, we were third last year, and we are now second. So, this is an improvement for us,’’ he said.
Speaking during the championship’s closing ceremony, Prof. Adam Ukwenya, President of Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF), expressed delight that the competition has helped to further the development of the sport among women.
“Cricket has been in this country for about a century now, but it is just about eight years among the female. However, what we have seen here is an indication that we are on our way up.
“It means the future of the sport is very bright and very soon we will be among the best on the continent,’’ he said.
NAN reports that the competition is an annual event of the NCF.
