Government Secondary School, Owerri, Imo State, was agog, at the weekend, with activities as veterans, young cricketers and cricket aficionados graced the South East Cricket Association’s (SECA) second South-East veteran cricket match. The first was won by Trailblazers at St. Patrick’s College, Emene, Enugu State on November 13, 2021.
Pathfinders, captained by the Enugu State Cricket Association chairman, Ogbonnaya Okogeri, opted to field, restricting the runs of the Trailblazers to 55 for eight in the allotted 10 overs.
Trailbla zers’ Captain, who is also the South East Zonal Representative and NCF Board Member, Chika Okoro, played a leg glance six and a four to top the scores for his team, playing 10 runs off 10 balls.
Representative of the President of the Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) and the secretary of the NCF, Taiwo Oriss, scored his first runs in cricket, playing two runs off nine balls before he was retired out. This makes him arguably the first Secretary General of the Federation (who is originally not a cricketer) to score runs in an organised cricket match.
In the second innings, Pathfinders XI quickly raced to 59 for four in 6.2 overs to win the match by six wickets.
Nigeria ex-international and Abia State Cricket Association chairman, Elder James Okwara, clinched the Player of the Match award by playing 18 runs off six balls, hitting two sixes and one four in the innings. He was followed by Alex Mbamalu’s 13 off eight balls.
Imo State Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Mr. Daniel Oguh, bowled the first ball to declare the veterans match open. He reiterated the interest of the governor in sports and the readiness of the government of Senator Hope Uzodinma to support cricket in the state.
The build-up to the veterans’ match was a three-day intensive coaching and umpiring seminar, which lasted from Thursday through Saturday at Exclusive Gardens Hotel and Government Secondary School, Owerri, Imo State.
The coaching sessions delivered by Mr. Olisa Egwuatu brought 32 coaches from the South East together under the tutelage of the ICC/UCBSA Level Three Coach, while the umpiring seminar was delivered by the chairman of the Association of Cricket Umpires and Scorers of Nigeria (ACUSN), Mr. Musa Ehizoje.
Participants of both the coaching and umpiring seminars later had a field experience at Government Secondary School, Owerri.
NCF Technical Director, Mr. Joseph Eshua, was also present at the seminar as he dished his technical input to the participants.
The highlight of the ACUSN seminar was the inauguration of the Enugu State and Imo State chapters of ACUSN with Dr. Oliver Saint Ngwoke and Ndubuisi Emmanuel as chairmen, respectively.
