The South West team put up a very impressive win in both male and female matches at the ongoing PwC/NCF Under 17 Cricket championship.
The matches played at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium Abuja, saw the South West male team secure 111 runs against North Central and won by 9 wickets against North East in the women’s game.
The team came up strong in their second game on Friday, after their defeat to South South male and female teams on Thursday.
In the men’s game, North Central won the toss and opted to field.
The decision relatively, didn’t work in their favour as the South West batters took the shine off the bowlers with a couple of half centuries from the side.
Wale Odukoya 52 (34) scored the first half century of this year’s edition, as well as the first ever for the South West team in the tournament.
Odukoya was supported by teammates, Daniel Joseph 52 (50) and Femi Oresanwo 25 (24) as their efforts was able to see the South West team score 186/7 in 25 overs.
The second innings saw the side limit North Central to 75 all out in 22 overs.
They had Player of the Match, Kareem Gafar, do the work for the side with four wickets, 3 maidens, 4 runs in 5 overs.
The women’s game saw an easier victory for the South West team who needed just 6.2 overs, to send the North Central batters back to the dugout in the first innings.
Kehinde Amusan of South West got a five-wicket haul as they limited their opponents to 14 runs all out in 6.2 overs.
In reply, the South West team reached the target in 1.2 overs for the loss of one wicket. They won by 9 wickets.
At the end of the game, coach John Idakwo of South West, praised the players for the performance.
“We lost our games yesterday to South South and today we came out stronger.
“I would say that we played like a wounded lion today because we were challenged by that defeat yesterday and saw our lapses.
“It is great seeing how much the players improved from the game yesterday and I must appreciate them,” Idakwo said.
On his part, Obinna Ohurogu, coach of the North East, lauded the performance of the team, adding that their challenge in the zone was facilities.
“Our challenges back home are facilities and equipment.
“ Some of the players here are seeing these wooden bat for the first time as well as the pads and gloves. So, I can imagine that they will struggle at a competition like this.
“But we hope that in the coming years, we will improve as a team,” Ohurogu said.
A total of six teams representing the geopolitical zones are participating in the 4th edition of the competition which ends on Sunday. (NAN)
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