Just In!: The Abuja Cricket Club is Better than People Realise

The Cricket Club of Abuja (CCA) has been given the thumbs up for ensuring that the game of cricket remains active in the nation’s capital.

Chris Newsom, speaking on behalf of the British community after a friendly cricket match between the UK, Australasia and CCA members, said they were initially unaware that there was such a club in Abuja.

“We didn’t even know the cricket club was here and the (Abuja) cricket club is better than people realise”, he said.

The match, which was won by the Australians, was played to mark Waitangi Day, a New Zealand national holiday and witnessed some great bowling and batting, notably from Saad Butt, the captain of the Abuja Club.

“If you were watching carefully, you would see a couple of good players from the Abuja Cricket Club who are regulars here. Most players here have been playing for 20 years,” said Newsom.

Speaking on the Nigeria cricket team’s chances at next month’s Cricket World Division Five Championship in Malaysia, where Nigeria will hope to qualify to the money-spinning division four, Butt believes the team has the talent to deliver.

“They are preparing well. I have been watching them and just like the last time they got promoted to division five, they play really well and they have huge confidence. But if they believe in themselves to at least stay in the same division then they definitely have a good chance of qualifying. They have the players and skills of a division five, at least.”

Chris agrees that cricket is developing in Nigeria, especially with the team’s promotion last year to division five, “which sounds like a tier way down but for a small cricket community and country, that’s doing pretty well.”

The Nigeria Cricket Federation President, who also doubles as the President of the Abuja club, Emeka Onyeama, says matches like this will definitely increase relations between Nigeria and other countries.

“We’re using cricket as a platform to improve our relationship with other countries and I can assure you that what is going on today will bring more for cricket in Nigeria,” he said.

Emeka also discussed the impact the match has on Nigerian cricket. “Using platforms like this to promote and improve cricket in Nigeria, they (other countries) can bring us equipment and come on playing tours. As a matter of fact, one of the Australian guys has already promised to bring his team over here, which is a good thing for us.”

The 2014 ICC World Cricket League Division Five will take place from 6–13 March 2014 and Nigeria will battle with host Malaysia, Cayman Islands, Guernsey, Tanzania, and Jersey for the first and second positions, which secure qualification to Division Four. Third and fourth placed teams will remain in Division Five 2016, while fifth and sixth will be relegated to Division Six 2015.

More pictures below:

Chris Newsom (right and in glasses) and the rest of the team