Teams from the South-South and South-West zones delivered commanding performances on the opening day of the 7th National Under-17 Championship organised by the Nigeria Cricket Federation in Abuja, asserting early dominance in both the boys’ and girls’ categories.
At the NCF Pitch, the South-South girls produced a clinical display to defeat North-Central after electing to field first.
A bowling attack dismantled North-Central for 67 runs, with Precious Okonkwo returning impressive figures of three wickets for 14 runs, while Praise Onaghise supported with a two for seven.
Chasing the modest target, Glory Idiahi anchored the innings with a confident 31 runs off 20 balls to guide South-South to a comfortable seven-wicket victory in just eight overs.
The second girls’ encounter proved more competitive as South-East edged North-West by three wickets.
Despite spirited contributions from Faith Godwin and Mary Ezekiel for North-West, Godgift Ezeali delivered a decisive performance, scoring 28 runs to steer South-East to a successful chase of 77.
In the boys’ category, the South-South side delivered one of the most dominant performances of the day, overwhelming North-Central with the ball.
North-Central were bowled out for just 38 runs in 19.5 overs, as Praise Chizea and Chigozie Princewill led the bowling attack with three wickets each, posting remarkable economy rates of 0.67 and 1.04 respectively.
South-South then comfortably chased the target, reaching 40 for four in 7.2 overs to seal victory.
In the day’s other boys’ fixture, South-West displayed all-round strength to defeat South-East by 43 runs.
Batting first, South-West posted 135 for nine in 25 overs, with Olayinka Hamzat leading the charge with an aggressive 34 runs off 30 balls.
Although David Ojo claimed three wickets for South-East, the chase faltered against disciplined bowling
Emmanuel Oladejo starred with the ball, taking three wickets for 13 runs as South-East were bowled out for 92, sealing a comprehensive win for the South-West team.
Day One Results
Boys
- North-Central – 38 all out (19.5 overs)
- South-South – 40/4 (7.2 overs)South-South won by 6 wickets
- South-West – 135/9 (25 overs)
- South-East – 92 all out (21.2 overs)South-West won by 43 runs
Girls
- North-Central – 67 all out (18.1 overs)
- South-South – 68/3 (8 overs)South-South won by 7 wickets
- North-West – 76 all out (17.1 overs)
- South-East – 77/7 (13.3 overs)South-East won by 3 wickets
Matches Continue Thursday
The championship continues on Thursday, March 12, with more regional clashes expected at the Abuja venue.
Boys Fixtures
- North-Central vs North-West – 9:00 AM
- South-East vs North-East – 2:00 PM
Girls Fixtures
- South-West vs North-Central – 9:00 AM
- South-East vs North-East – 2:00 PM
The NCF National U-17 Championship remains Nigeria’s premier youth cricket competition, providing a vital pathway for identifying and developing young talents for the country’s high-performance and national teams.
About The Author
