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By: Abiodun Adewale
Vice Chairman, Edo Cricket Association, Abraham Oviawe, has said the state will continue to build on its developmental programmes after the successful completion of the 2023/24 Edo Cricket League, which was won by the University of Benin Cricket Club on Monday, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Thanks to a commanding performance by Nigeria’s U-19 right hand bowler, Destiny Chilemanya, who got six wickets, UNIBEN dethroned No Limits Cricket Club by a whopping 70-run to claim the title.
In the first innings, Yellow Greens’ fast bowler, Chiemelie Udekwe, in No-Limits colours partnered with Godbless Abilo to rattle the UNIBEN batting lineup, grabbing three wickets apiece and left them with 114 runs on board all out in 19.5 overs.
However, the former champions had no idea what awaited them in the second innings as it took 73 balls for the Eghosa Aghedo-led UNIBEN team to rout No Limits to just 44 runs all out in 12.1 overs.
Impressed by the array of senior and junior national team players who are from the state’s cricket development programme and currently in school within the state, Oviawe said the league was defining success by churning out new stars.
“While UNIBEN was exceptional on the field of play, what marks success for us remains the fact that the talents are local, they all embraced our continual educational policy, and they all proudly came out to represent their Institution.
“We have other higher institutions like Benson Idahosa University and Ambrose Alli University in Ekpoma that have a huge number of our cricket talents here as well, and it is a path we are strongly pursuing into the future.
“Now, the new generation we are grooming have a model to look up to,” he said.
In the third-place match, Invictus Cricket Club edged Delta Force by 69 runs while UNIBEN also scooped two of the four individual awards.
Chilemanya, who got six wickets in the final, won the bowler of the series, with his teammate Oswald Obasohan named the fielder of the series. Udekwe of No Limits won the Most Valuable Player award, while the batter of the series was David Abiebhode of Invictus Cricket Club.
