*BOYS FINAL MATCH REPORT
• South-South emerge champions after a breath taking final against North-West
• South-South are double champions as they lift the Girls and Boys under 17 trophies
• North West finishes runners up in the tournament with loads of positives.
The Final match of the National Under-17 Cricket Championship for Boys ended with thrills and excitements, reminding all and sundry why we love the game. North West cruised to the final after beating North Central in the semi-final, while South-South thumped South West to also qualify for the final. Edo Boys High School, Benin City was packed to full capacity by home fans, spectators, neutrals etc, to witness the clash of two Titans when it comes to Cricket in Nigeria.
South-South won the toss and elected to bat first. The opening pair of Elijah Saturday and Selim Salau started brightly, racing to 45 runs in the power play over. The Genius of Chidi Onwubualili got hat trick wicket which dealt a serious blow into the Bating attack of South-South. Wickets fell every other over, leaving South-South to settle for a below par score of 93 runs all out in 25.1 overs.
Elijah Saturday scored 32 runs off 36 balls as the best performer with the bat for South-South.
Chidi Onwubualili finished with 4 wickets, conceding 19 runs in 6.1 overs, strongly supported by Theophilus Jeremiah with 3 wickets for 32 runs in 8 overs for North West.
In the second innings, South-South took the game to North West, piling pressure from the first ball. Onslaught led by Prosper Useni, North West lost 5 wickets for 18 runs in the power play over, leaving too much to ponder for the middle order batsmen. A spark of hope from Kenneth Boniface came to an end with the catch and moment of the tournament by Effiong Godswill in Mid-wicket, quenching every ray of hope of comeback by the North-West team.
North West eventually finished with 52 runs all out in 18 overs.
Isaac Oyemba got 3 wickets, conceding 19 runs in 6 overs, supported by Destiny Chilemayan with 3 wickets for 5 runs in 3 overs and Ogbemudia Eweka with 2 wickets for 8 runs in 4 overs.
Kenneth Boniface scored 16 runs off 19 balls and Paul Pam scored 14 runs off 34 balls as the only double figures for North-West.
Destiny Chilemayan was named player of the match.
South-South won by 41 runs to be crowned tournament champions.
TEAM AWARDS
• South-South (Winners Trophy and Medal)………………Champions
• North West (Runners Up Trophy and Medal)..…………Runners Up
• South West (3rd Position Trophy and Medal) ……………..3rd Position
• North Central………….4th Position
• South East……………….5th Position
INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
• Most Valuable Player (Award + 20,000)…. Boniface Kenneth (North West)
• Best Bowler (Award + 15,000)…………………Theophilus Jeremiah (North West)
• Best Fielder(Award +15,000) ………………….Joshua Sunday (North West)
• Best Batsman(Award + 15,000)……………….Elijah Saturday (South-South)
• Best Behaved (Award + 15, 000).…………….Godswill Effiong (South-South)
SPECIAL AWARDS BY SPONSOR
• MVP. Team South-South (15,000)…Destiny Chilemayan
• MVP. Team North West (15,000)….Chidi Onwubualili
• Moment of the Game (15,000)…….Godswill Efiiong
A special award for the ‘’ Undiluted Fatherly Love and Care’’ was presented to the Chairman of Edo State Cricket Association Mr. Uyi Akpata, from the 2019 National Under-15 Youth games Gold Medalist.
Dignitaries present on the final day include;
Mr. Elijah Adamu, Representing the Permanent Secretary (FMYSD)
Prof. Yahaya Adam Ukwenya, President, Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF)
Mr. Uyi Akpata, Vice President, Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF)
Board Members, Nigeria Cricket Federarion
Tolu Adeleke. Head, Sponsor’s delegate, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC)
Dudu Orume. Chairman Board, Edo State Sports Commission
Principals’, Edo Boys High School and Iyoba College
Veterans, ex internationals, Media and more.
Vote of thanks was given by the Host Mr Uyi Akpata, Chairman Edo State Cricket Association, to bring the tournament to a close.
Ends……………
*MUSA EHIZOJE BODIE
TOURNAMENT COORDINATOR*