BRF Team Win League, Super 4

The 2010/2011 Nigerian cricket season ended on a bright note for the BRF Cricket Club of Ibeju Lekki as the team were declared double champions of the season.

BRF Cricket Club were the winners of Division 1 of the league, while the team also won the Club Cricket Committee, CCC’s Irish Smart Technology Super 4 Championship played on Saturday at the Tafawa Balewa cricket Oval, Race Course on Lagos Island. BRF beat Federal Government College, Warri Cricket Club by 8 wickets to steal the show in the tourney.

Captain of the champions, Endurance Ofem told P.M.Sports that their feat in the just concluded league was not a surprise to him. According to Ofem, who is also the captain of the national team; “Winning the league and the Super 4 was a well-deserved honour. In the team alone, we have about eight players from the national team and playing a long series with unbeaten run in 16 games is a feat that should be celebrated. I think we fought hard to reach this pinnacle this season.”

Financier of the team, Executive Chairman of Ibeju Lekki Local Council Development Area, LDCA, Hon Bayo Balogun described the feat as a reward of commitment and dedication of the team and their officials.

“This is an achievement we are all proud of. I’m happy that as defending champions of both the league and the Super 4, BRF Cricket Club did not disappoint. They defended their titles very well and I’m happy with the spirit in the team;” said the Chairman.

“I think we did not make mistake by renaming the team in honour of the Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Raji Fashola. This shows that the governor’s name has really brought fortune on the team. I’m equally happy that this team have not only brought fame to Lagos as the national champions, they have also excelled as African champions,” he noted.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Lagos State Cricket Association, Kofi Sagoe has described the just concluded season as “being an active one with clubs vying for ascendancy and honours in the different formats of the game. It is to the credit of the league and the entire 14-man Nigerian squad to the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Division 7 in Botswana as well as the T20 tourney in South Africa, which was made up of players participating in the Lagos league.” The chairman, however, congratulated the President of NCF, Kwesi Sagoe on his recent appointment as the Chairman of Africa Cricket Association, ACA.

—Taiwo Adelu