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GTA T20 FINAL MATCH REPORT | (2009-09-28 )

GCI WON THE TOSS AND CHOSE TO BAT. POSTING 132 RUNS IN 20 OVERS; A SCORE THAT LOOKED DEFENDABLE AND CHASEABLE CONSIDERING THE BOWLING AND BATTING COLLECTION OF BOTH TEAMS, GAVE THE FANS SOME EXCITING CRICKET THAT PULLED IT TO THE LAST BALL OF THE MATCH.

CAPTAIN SEUN ODEKU LED OF GCI LED HIS TEAM WITH A GOOD START OF 17 RUNS AFTER TWO OVERS BEFORE RAMIT DEPARTED IN THE THIRD OVER WITH 26 RUNS ON THE BOARD. AT 73 FOR 2 AFTER 12 OVERS, WE WERE SET TO SEE A BIG TOTAL, BUT THE IBEJU PLAYERS FOUGHT HARD TO REDUCE GCI TO 132 RUNS IN 20 OVERS FOR THE LOSS OF 6 WICKETS, WITH AMPLE CONTRIBUTIONS FROM ODEKU 22, OSITA 26, ATOLOYE 20 AND OKUSANYA 14 RUNS.

APROACHING THE WICKET POSITIVELY FOR A POSSIBLE CHASE, IBEJU BATSMEN MET FURIOUS BOWLING FROM CHIBUIKE ITEOGU WHO OPENED HIS BOWLING ACCOUNT BY BOWLING FEMI SOLEBO WITH THE FIRST BALL OF THE INNINGS AND LATER ACCOUNTED FOR AWOLOWO’S WICKET, WHO WAS CAUGHT BY RAMIT AT SECOND SLIP. OLYMPIO OLUGBO STOOD STILL AS HE REQUIRED SUPPORT. ADEMOLA ONIKOYI WAS TRAPPED LBW BY NATIONAL TEAM CAPTAIN, WALE ADEOYE WHICH BROUGHT OFEM ENDURANCE TO THE CREASE. OFEM STARTED POSITIVELY, LOOKING TO PLAY A BIG INNINGS BUT WAS BOWLED BY SEUN ODEKU FOR 14, AFTER PLAYING ONE BACK TO THE STUMPS. SEAN PHILLIPS AGAIN LOOKED SET TO RESCUE HIS TEAM WITH A FIGHTING INNINGS OF 47 RUNS BUT WAS CAUGHT BY WALE ADEOYE AT LONG OFF, OFF SEUN ODEKU’S BOWLING. IT WAS BRILLIANT BOWLING FROM SEUN ODEKU WHO TOOK 3 FOR 27 IN 4 OVERS ACCOUNTING FOR TWO MAJOR WICKETS OF SEAN PHILIPS AND ENDURANCE OFEM.

FIGHTING ON TO THE LAST OVER OF THE MATCH, JIDE BEJIDE HELD HIS OWN TILL THE LAST BALL, SUPPORTED BY CAPTAIN YEMI AMUSA, NEEDING 8 RUNS FROM 6 BALLS, THEY DID WELL ENOUGH TO REDUCE THE CHASE TO THE LAST BALL WITH TWO RUNS TO WIN. THE MIND QUESTIONS WERE, SHOULD HE SET UP A TIE  OR GO FOR AN OUTRIGHT WIN. HE PICKED THE LATTER AND WAS STUMPED OF WALE ADEOYE.

THE SPONSORS, ORGANISERS AND SPECTATORS WERE NOT DISAPOINTED AS THEY SAW A THRILLING FINAL BETWEEN ARGUABLY THE BEST TWO TEAMS THIS SEASON. THE VICTORY BY GCI HAS SET UP A BIG CHALLENGE FOR THE SEASON AND COME START OF SEASON, WE SHOULD SEE SOME THRILLING CRICKET.

AWARD WINNERS WERE, AUSTIN AREGHAN (PIONEERS) – BATSMAN OF THE SERIES, OSITA ONWUZULIKE (GCI)- FIELDER OF THE SERIES, ONIKOYI ADEMOLA (IBEJU)- WICKET KEEPER OF THE SERIES, SEUN ODEKU (GCI)- BOWLER OF THE SERIES WHILE MAN OF THE SERIES WAS SEAN PHILLIPS OF IBEJU.

NOW WHAT………………..? DON’T MISS THE LEAGUE GAMES STARTING END OF OCTOBER……..SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS AT TBS AND UNILAG CRICKET OVALS.