Nigeria: Lagos season preview plus development news

The Nigerian season will officially open this Sunday with a selection trial for the Nigerian under 19 team to contest the first ever West African Under 19 titles.

The Nigerian team chosen from the Possibles-Probables match will play teams from Ghana, Gambia and Sierra Leone, as part of the selection process for the composite West African team to contest the inaugural African Under 19 Championships in Uganda early next year.

It is a fitting start to a season dubbed by the Nigeria Cricket Association as a 'Season of Development'.

The NCA in conjunction with both the Development Officer for Africa, Hoosain Ayob, and the ICC's Global Development Manager, Andrew Eade, has obtained approval for an equipment scheme from India that will form the thrust of its development programme. It is also expected that astroturf matting will be provided and this will be funded by the ICC.

Six zonal centres have been identified by the NCA as prime beneficiaries of the scheme: Bauchi, Gusau, Ibadan, Kaduna, Owerri and Port Harcourt.

Also, importantly, cricket has been included on the programme of the 12th Nigerian National Sports Festival, taking place in Bauchi from November 15 to 26th. In a healthy sign of cricket's strength outside Lagos, 14 States have already submitted entries for the cricket programme.

Meanwhile, the Lagos League, arguably Nigeria's strongest, is underway. NCA official, Kwesi Sagoe, provides a season's preview:

'The Lagos League will officially commence December 2nd according to Lagos Club Cricket Committee secretary, Debola Ogunsina.

On November 25th League Champions, Foundation Cricket Club (FCC) will lock horns with arch rivals Cosmopolitan Cricket Club (Cosmo) to flag off the season in Lagos State.

This season 10 teams have registered for the league up from nine the previous season. The teams are FCC1, FCC2, Cosmo, GCI Old Boys, KC Old Boys, FGC Warri Old Boys (new), Dyaks, Howzat Pioneers, Howzat Dolphins (new) and Ogun Rocks.

Out go Midas and in come FGC Warri Old Boys and Howzat Dolphins.

Foundation Cricket Club (1)
The champions, FCC (1), remain the team to beat with their blend of experience and youth. Leading the team this season is Samuel Akhionbare, the league's highest wicket-taker in the past two seasons and will attempt to harness experience provided by Kofi Sagoe (national skipper to the Africa Cup in Kenya) and veteran of two ICC Trophy campaigns in Kenya (1994) and Malaysia (1997).

Experience will also come from Ed Akerele, Dipo Idowu and George Wiltshire the last two also veterans of Kenya '94 and Malaysia '97.

Youthful support will come from Wale Adeoye and Dotun Olatunji, both current members of the national team who garnered valuable experience during the Africa Cup in Kenya in September. Sunkanmi Odedele, who was admitted into the club last Sunday at the AGM, and Thomas Ezeh both on the wings of a national team call-up are also expected to strengthen the champions' bid to retain the top spot.

Cosmo
Cosmo will attempt to improve on their disappointing third place finish last season. They will rely strongly on their four members who played for the country at the Africa Cup in Kenya i.e Femi Olayiwole, Oboh Omoigui, Okey Ahuchogu and Ameh Edebor.

The club's bane last season was its inconsistency losing twice to FCC(2) and once each to FCC(1) and KC Old Boys and would strive to mount a serious challenge for the title this time around. Whilst the players to do battle are available and with greater youth and stamina at their disposal, Cosmo's general attitude to play will once again be put to test.

With Femi Olayiwole playing at the top of the order in batting and also providing medium-pace bowling support, Oboh Omoigui either playing in the middle order or as pinch-hitter and also providing a bowling option whilst Okey Ahuchogu provides variation with spin and his middle order batting.

They will be complemented by the seventeen year-old prodigy Ovie Osuaso whose Cricket is progressing in leaps and bounds as a quality allrounder. He will definitely be selected for the West African Under-19 team to the African Associates Under-19 championship billed for Uganda early in 2001 if he maintains his form in the early season.

Watch out for the Cosmo challenge.

Foundation Cricket Club 2
A motley mix of some veterans and unheralded youngsters surprised both themselves and other cricket watchers in placing second in the league last season. Having lost their first three matches, they were written off. In a fine comeback, the team won its next five matches to qualify for the play-offs and in the process had to overcome fellow title-aspirants Cosmo twice to earn place to play sister team FCC1 in the final match of the series.

FCC2 will rely on the wile and guile of the 'old men' Kome Agodo and Kwesi Sagoe to motivate youngsters in the team in the mold of Sunday Adeleye, Femi Oduyebo, Tunde Adeoye.

In support will also be James Okwara, Tunde Akinleye and Oris Oruye. FCC2 are basically title-spoilers that can make or mar the chances of serious title contenders.

GCI Old Boys
GCI Old Boys will put into play the fire power of their new ball opening pair, Dapo Adegoke and Tayo Okusanya both in the Nigerian squad to the Africa Cup in Kenya to unravel brittle opening batting partnerships.

The experience gathered in Kenya is expected to be put into play.

Also watch out for the spin bowling of Tayo Atoloye and wicket-keeper Charles Okodua who was also in Kenya.

The team basically adopts a fielding strategy and hopes to restrict opposing sides to reasonable totals that can be surmounted by their batsmen.

King's College Old Boys
The KC Old Boys will depend to a large extent on their captain Edo Ukpong, Chuma Anosike and Tony Ovie-Whiskey; the first two for batting and Tony for all-round ability.

Seun Odeku the eighteen year-old allrounder is also expected to make a mark in this team that pulled off an upset last season by defeating Cosmo!

Dyaks
Dyaks will rely on the skills of the Otegbeyes, Jide and Kunle; uncle and nephew and Lekan Ifonlaja. The Otegbeyes will bat while Ifonlaja bowls out his heart.

Howzat Pioneers
This youthful side is always a problem to beat and will parade Olisa Egwuatu, Abraham Ashamu, Gbenga Odedele, Endurance Ofem.

They will miss the services of the elder Odedele, Sunkanmi who joined FCC at the end of last season.

Ogun Rocks
Another youthful side from Abeokuta, capital of Ogun State about 80 kilometers from Lagos that had been encouraged to participate in the Lagos league for the past ten years

FGC Old Boys
FGC Old Boys will make its debut in the Lagos league this season and is expected to parade Ute Ogbimi yet another member of the squad to Kenya in September. He will be assisted by Uyi Akpata and Jite Okoloko.

Ute Ogbimi was the main force behind Midas CC which has scratched from the league this season.