Obaseki, Alli to Grace Cricket Super Four in Benin

The wife of Edo State Governor,  Mrs  Betsy Obaseki, and the Chairman of Edo State Sports Commission, Mr Yusuf Alli, have been listed to grace the third edition of the South-South Female Cricket League in Benin City this weekend.

The game will kick off today Friday February 9 through Sunday, 11th at the Centre of Excellence for Women’s Cricket Iyoba College, Benin City, where  four teams: Idia Royals, Pathfinders Cricket Club, Smashers Cricket Club, and Adolo Amazons Cricket, will square-off in a T20 encounter.

Chairman of Edo State Cricket Association, Uyi Akpata, who also doubles as the president of the Nigeria Cricket Federation, says the “Super Four”  will feature the top-four teams in the region.

“All the clubs that grew out of the quest to draw a new path for the games development, and today, among other things, we are celebrating the rise of female cricket in Nigeria,” he said.

“The South-South has continually been the powerhouse for the game because of the commitment of the government of states in the region, and passion of cricket enthusiasts to grow the game.”

Akpata added that H.E. Betsy Obaseki’s commitment to grace the finals of the Super Four compliments her role in encouraging the girl-child’s engagement in social development and reforms in the state over the years.

Meanwhile, the female national team coach Leke Oyede has commended the events as he says it has helped the national team players garner more playing time and also been able to unearth new talents that the coaching crew looks to give closer attention to.

“We have some players that have used the event to hone their skills, but more important is the level of competition and playtime these events have afforded most of the national team players.”

The female national team, will be feature at the NCF Women’s T20 Invitation later in February in Lagos, and All Africa Games (in Ghana) early  March, and the “Super Four” provides an ample chance for the coaches to see the form of the players to be invited to execute coming national events.