Nigeria Cricket Team Guide
The Nigeria cricket team represents Nigeria in international cricket. The sport has been played in Nigeria since the late 19th century, with the national team playing their first match in 1904. The Nigeria Cricket Association has been an associate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) since 2002, allowing them to play against international cricket teams.
History of Nigeria Cricket Team
Cricket was introduced to Nigeria in the late 19th century by the British. The first international match was played in Lagos on 25 May 1904 against the Gold Coast Colony. Over the years, the sport became more organised, with cricket associations formed in the 1930s. After Nigeria’s independence in 1960, the sport saw a surge in interest, with annual matches against the Sierra Leone cricket team and the Gambia cricket team. However, by the late 1970s, football’s popularity overshadowed cricket. The Nigeria cricket team became an ICC associate member in 2002.
Where Does The Nigeria Cricket Team Play?
The primary cricket stadium in Nigeria is the Tafawa Balewa Square Oval in Lagos, which has a capacity of 2,000.
Former Captains Of The Nigeria Cricket Team
Sylvester Okpe is a Nigerian cricketer, born on December 7, 2000. He is a former captain of the Nigeria under-19 cricket team and has also captained the Nigerian national cricket team. In March 2019, he was named as the captain of Nigeria’s squad for the Africa Division 1 qualifier tournament for the 2020 Under-19 Cricket World Cup. Nigeria went on to win the competition to qualify for the 2020 Under-19 Cricket World Cup, with Okpe named as the Player of the Tournament. In October 2021, he was named as the captain of the Nigeria cricket team for the Regional Final of the 2021 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier tournament in Rwanda.
Top Run Scorers In Nigeria Cricket Team History
Sesan Adedeji is one of the top run scorers for the Nigeria cricket team, with him being one of the first to make it past 1000 runs in T20I and T20 games combined.
Top Wicket Takers In Nigeria Cricket Team History
Isaac Okpe and Peter Aho are two of the most notable bowlers to have played for the Nigerian cricket team. These were the first players to reach 40 wickets for their nation, with Aho actually being amongst the first to record 4 wickets in a single game.
Memorable Games For The Nigeria Cricket Team
One of the most memorable matches for Nigeria was their first-ever T20I match against the Kenya cricket team in May 2019. Taking place in Uganda, Nigeria put up a valiant effort, however, still lost by 8 wickets. Another significant event was when Nigeria replaced the Zimbabwe cricket team in the 2019 ICC T20 World Cup Qualifier tournament due to Zimbabwe’s suspension.
Rivals Of The Nigeria Cricket Team
Despite not being out and out rivals, the Nigeria cricket team has had many competitive matches against other African nations in its past including the Ghana cricket team and the Uganda cricket team.
