Edo State Governor’s Wife, Betsy Obaseki, and the Chairman of Edo State Sports Commission, Yusuf Alli, have been listed for the third South-South Women’s Cricket League in Benin City this weekend, the organisers have said.

The league, which began yesterday and will end tomorrow, at the Centre of Excellence for Women’s Cricket, Iyoba College, Benin City, is featuring four teams, Idia Royals, Pathfinders Cricket Club, Smashers Cricket Club, and Adolo Amazons Cricket in a T20 competition.
 
Chairman of Edo State Cricket Association, Uyi Akpata, who also doubles as the president of the Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF), assured that the Super Four will feature the top-four teams in the region, adding, “all the clubs grew out of the quest to draw a new path for the game’s development, and today, among other things, we are celebrating the rise of women cricket in Nigeria.”
 
He said, “South-South has continually been the powerhouse for the game because of the commitment of the government of states in the region, and passion of cricket enthusiasts to grow the game.”
 
Akpata added that Mrs Obaseki’s commitment to grace the finals of the Super Four compliments her role in encouraging the girl-child’s engagement in social development and reforms in the state over the years.
 
Meanwhile, the women national team coach, Leke Oyede, has commended the league for helping the national team players garner more playing time and providing avenue for fresh stars to be unearthed.
 
 “We have some players that have used the event to hone their skills, but more important is the level of competition and playtime these events have afforded most of the national team players,” he said.
 
The women national team will be feature at the NCF Women’s T20 Invitation later in February in Lagos, and All Africa Games (in Ghana) early March, and the Super Four provides opportunity for the coaches to see the form of the players to be invited for international events,” he noted.