Nigeria:Lagos League has strong Foundations as Levites challenge for fourth position

With the Van Vliet Lagos League reaching its two-thirds mark, 74 of 110 matches completed, a clearer picture of the qualifiers for the 'Super 4' segment of the league is emerging.

The Foundation teams FCC1 and FCC2 seem poised to take the their traditional positions in the 'Super 4' and all things being equal they seem destined to be joined by GCI Old Boys.

However the fourth spot is the one generating a lot of excitement as Cosmo, ordinarily a holder of a spot in the segment is struggling this season having lost two matches against Levites and FCC2 so far and are yet to play the defending Champions FCC1.

The fourth slot is being heavily contested by the youthful Levites Club all the way from Benin in Edo State about 350 kilometres outside Lagos. The league matches will definitely tone up the skills and competitive spirit of this team in preparation for the upcoming National Sports Festival taking place in Edo State in March. So far they have won five of their seven matches played and are currently placed fourth on the log.

King's College Old Boys have also come to the party this season seriously fancying their chances of picking up a 'Super 4' slot. They have won four of their six matches are in fifth place on the log while Cosmo is in sixth place also with four victories out of six.

One of these three clubs will pick up the final slot and in reviewing their remaining matches one might be tempted to give it to the youthful Levites but for the experience factor.

They have three matches left against Rocks, KC Old Boys and Pioneers having played all 'big' matches therefore their schedule seems the softest. On the other hand KC Old Boys still have to play Levites, Cosmo, Rocks and GCI. The crunch match will be their match with Levites and possibly the winner of that match may go through since on current form KC Old Boys is expected to succumb to GCI Old Boys. Cosmo on the other hand have to go through GCI Old Boys, KC Old Boys, FCC1 and FGCW with the last being the easiest.

This schedule looks the toughest out of the three hoping to pick up the final place and may just prove too punishing for this Cosmo team that has lost many of its players and is in the process of infusing new players. It looks like a call between Levites and KC Old Boys but we'll just have to bid our time till February 24th when the roundrobin segment of the league would have been completed.

The matches played over the weekend for a change produced superiority of the bat over the ball with two centurions and another score of 90 not out. Young Joshua Ogunlola of FCC2 batting one down against Cosmo on Saturday emerged with the first century this season carrying his bat with a score of 106 laced with crisp straight drives and good running between the wickets. He was joined on Sunday by Wale Adeoye of FCC1 with an unbeaten 102 against Levites while Anofiu Salako laboured with his 90 against FGCW which provided the fulcrum for his side's victory.

Cricket enthusiasts are patiently awaiting the 'Super 4' segment that will bring out more even contests among the four qualifiers and the organisers, CCC are also seriously contemplating splitting the league on a two division basis whereby the first five finishers this season will qualify for the 1st division while the last five with any other new entrant will contest in Division 2 in a move that will encourage a more competitive league.

VAN VLIET LEAGUE TABLE(2001/2002) 25

Position TEAMS    P    W    L    D     BT    BW    PTS
1st FCC2          7    6    1    0     12    61    223
2nd GCI           6    5    1    0     24    34    183
3rd FCC1          5    5    0    0     12    29    166
4th LEVITES       7    5    2    0      2    28    155
5th KC            6    4    2    0      6    27    133
6th COSMO         6    4    2    0      7    24    131
7th ROCKS         7    4    3    0      2    14    116
8th PIONEERS      8    3    5    0      8    14     97
9th DYAKS         7    1    6    0      2    27     54
10th FGCW         7    1    6    0      7    16     48
11th DOLPHINS     8    0    8    0      0    13     13