Team Niger emerges winner of NCF/PwC U17 North Central zonal qualifiers

Posted : 13 February 2025

Team Niger won the Under-17 Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) North Central zonal qualifiers on Tuesday, sponsored by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

Niger defeated Benue to emerge as winners in the male category, finishing unbeaten in all five games of the tournament played at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.

The game saw Niger win the toss and opt to bowl first in the 15-over match.

Niger started strongly with clinical bowling, sending Hamisu Abdulrahman back to the stands within the first four balls of the innings. However, they soon lost momentum, conceding a staggering 36 extras.

Benue’s batting lineup failed to capitalize on the opportunity, managing just 17 runs off the bat and finishing with a total of 53/8 in 15 overs.

In response, the opening duo of Isaac Oyewole and Usman Ibrahim needed only 9.0 overs to score 55/0, sealing victory for Niger.

At the end of the game, Aliyu Abubakar, the coach of Team Niger, expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance and hoped they would carry their momentum into the tournament finals.

“The boys played well, although there are many areas to improve on, but overall, they gave their best.

“Our focus is now on the finals, scheduled to begin next week in Abuja. We hope to make our zone proud in the tournament,” he said.

Team Benue finished in second place, while Kwara and Kogi secured third and fourth positions, respectively.

Plateau State finished in fifth place, while FCT occupied the bottom of the table.

Salisu Ishaq from Kogi emerged as the best batter with 70 runs, while the best bowler award went to Mohammed Yahaya of Benue.

The best fielder award was given to Samuel Ayomide from Kwara, while the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award was claimed by Marvelous Olusegun, also from Kwara.

In the women’s category, only three teams participated, with Kogi emerging as champions, while Kwara and FCT finished in second and third place, respectively.

Sofia Waheed from Kwara was named the best female batter with 44 runs, while Hassana Salihu of Kogi won the best bowler award with five wickets to her credit.

The best fielder award went to Husseina Salihu, also of Kogi, while her teammate Fatima Musa was awarded the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the tournament.

Team Niger emerges winner of NCF/PwC U17 North Central zonal qualifiers

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