The Nigeria Cricket Federation(NCF) has announced the four qualifiers for the semi-finals of the National Cricket Club championships which holds from 10th to 12th July, 2009 in Kaduna.
Ibeji-Lekki Cricket Club(ILCC) of Lagos, winners of the Lagos CCC League, F16 cricket Club of Benin, winners of the Edo League, Crocodiles Cricket Club of Kaduna, winners of the North-West zonal play-offs and Whales Cricket club of Port Harcourt, winners of the South-East zonal play-offs will clash in semi-final fixtures to be announced by the NCF after a ballot during the week.
For ILCC and F16, their qualification was automatic having emerged as winners of the Lagos CCC League and Edo League respectively.
For Crocodiles Cricket Club of Kaduna, they had to overcome the efforts of Kano Cricket Club and Cricket Club of Abuja in the North-West zonal play-offs.
In the first match of the play-offs played at the Murtala Muhammed Square, Kaduna on 7th June, 2009, Crocodiles Club defeated Kano Indians Cricket Club by 4 wickets. Kano scored 182 all out with Saad 68, Ali 30 and Sanjay 25. Crocodiles of Kaduna responded with 184v for 6 in 32 overs with Yusuf 50 and Ade 30 and Wantana 29.
In the second match played at the same venue on 14th June, 2009, Crocodiles secured their qualification by defeating Cricket Club of Abuja(CCA) by 6 wickets. Abuja were 148 all out in 38 overs; Ravi 37, Uche 28 and Zeal 17. Crocodiles responded with 149 for for 6 in 20 overs with Moses Joseph 55, Yusuf 38.
In the final match played at the same venue on 21st June, 2009, Cricket Club of Abuja defeated Kano Indians Cricket Club by 4 wickets. Kano Indians got 166 all out in 40 overs Sanjay 39, Videk 18 while Abuja replied with 168 for 6 in 33 overs, Okezie 39, Ravi 28.
In the South-East zonal play-offs, Unity Cricket Club narrowly beat the Imo Cricket Club in a 20 over reduced match. Unity scored 104 overcoming the 103 runs by the Imo Club in a match played at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka cricket pitch on Friday 3rd July, 2009.
On Saturday 4th July, 2009, Whales Cricket Club defeated the University of Nigeria, Nsukka Cricket Club by 22 runs in a 40-over match. Whales scored 96 runs while the UNN team scored 74. The match was played at the same UNN pitch.
Thus Unity Cricket Club of Awka and Whales Cricket Club of Port Harcourt qualified for the finals played at the same UNN pitch, Whales defeated Unity in a match played on the 5th July, 2009 by 29 runs. Whales scored 137 runs while unity responded with 108.
