Liberty Lions, Quantum Club Win 2023 Ibadan Cricket League

Liberty Lions, Quantum Club Win 2023 Ibadan Cricket League

By Boluwaji Ogunmola

Liberty Lions Cricket Club, at the weekend, emerged champions of the 2023 Ibadan Cricket Hardball League, while Quantum Cricket Club clinched the Softball League, reports BSNSports.com.ng.

Government College Old Boys came second in the Hardball League, while Krishat Cricket Club took the Softball League’s silver medal.

In the Hardball final, GCI OBA made 62runs in 13.5 Overs all out. In the Second Innings, Liberty Lions scored 63runs in 6.3 Overs 3 Wickets.

In the Softball League final, played earlier on Sunday at the Cricket Oval of the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Quantum Club scored 137runs in 15 Overs for 6 Wicket, while Krishat Criket Club scored 93runs in 13.2 Overs all out in the Second Innings.

Captain of Liberty Lions Club, Chima Akachukwu expressed his delight after his team won for the third consecutive year, “I’m happy winning the Ibadan Cricket League for the third time in a row, the entire team is excited and we are proud of what we have achieved.”

Chairman, Ibadan Cricket League, Barrister Abayomi Oke - a former Cricketer and an Old Boy of GCI, said he was impressed with the level of performance of all the teams which participated in the league.

“The guys have played a very beautiful game and it is very impressive that the league has exposed the young guys to competitive game and we’ve seen the results all along in the amount of accolades and awards Oyo state has been winning in Cricket in the last one year, so i'm proud the league is back after two years", the former Youths and Sports Commissioner said.

In the Hardball League, Olaleye Elijah and Jamiu Kabir of Government College Old boys won Best Batter and Best Fielder respectively, while Captain of Liberty Lions Cricket club Akachukwu Chima won the Best Bowler and Man of the Series Award.

In the Softball League, Marveen and Shobit, both of Quantum Cricket Club, won Best Batter and Best Fielder Award respectively, while Yogesh of Krishat Cricket Club won the Best Bowler award and Man of the Series award.

An ex-international and former Vice-Chairman, Nigeria Cricket Association, Colonel Walter Jibunoh (rtd), called for a return of the sport to schools in the state.

“Let's get a few schools as models. Cricket is not a game that can be played by all schools, so we need to select a few of them to use as models. Make pitches available for students to train and learn the basics” he stated.

Another ex-international and former Chairman, Oyo State Cricket Association, Mr Okon Ukpon similarly called on those in positions of authority to return Cricket to schools.

“There must be a production pipeline, we need to go back to the schools and make yearly as currently, there is a disconnect”, he concluded.