Edo wins National Men’s Cricket Championship title

EDO State defeated Kaduna State with 57 runs on Wednesday to emerge as champions of the National Men’s Cricket Championship in Benin City, the Edo State capital.

Team captain Peter Aho, a key member of the national U-19 Cricket World Cup team last year in South Africa, said the team owed their victory to discipline and the huge measure of support that they enjoyed from the Edo State Cricket Association.

“We give the glory to God and we thank all our mentors and the leadership of the Edo State Cricket Association that have sacrificed and encouraged the team to this heights, we dedicate this victory to them,” Abo said.

President of the Nigerian Cricket Federation, Yahaya Ukwenya, said, “We set out to, among other things to use this event as a platform for the best players in the country to showcase their skills.

“The national coach, Asanka (Gurusinha), has watched every match of this competition with a team of selectors, and soon our national camp will open for the assignments ahead with some new players invited based on their performance here.”

Lagos State finished in third place.

Mustapha Yussuff of Lagos was named the Bowler of the series for bowling 16 wickets in four matches. Edo’s Selim Salau and Kaduna’s Isaac Okpe were adjudged the Fielder and Batsman of the event, while Sylvester Okpe, the captain of Kaduna, was named the Most Valuable Player of the championship.