CRICKET BEATS: • 2025 Edo Cricket Men’s League bowls off Saturday in Benin ...As cricket Boss Akpata bags SWAN national

[Abigail pereowei]

Cricket fever is set to grip Benin City as the 2025 Edo State Men’s Cricket League storms into action this Saturday, November 8 and it's a promising four weeks of fiery bowling, explosive batting, and unrelenting competition among the state’s best clubs.

The T20-format tournament, one of Nigeria’s most competitive state leagues, will feature eight formidable teams:

✓ No Limit Cricket Club
✓ Invictus Cricket Club
✓ Crusaders Cricket Club
✓ Integrity Force Cricket Club
✓ Uniben Cricket Club
✓ Dolphins Cricket Club
✓ Delta Force Cricket Club
✓ The U-17 Cricket Club

Action gets underway with two opening-day thrillers, the Under-17 Cricket Club squaring off against Integrity Force at the High Performance Centre, Edo Boys High School, while No Limit Cricket Club clashes with Invictus Cricket Club at the Centre of Excellence for Women’s Cricket, Iyoba College. Both encounters start at 9:00 a.m.

Later in the afternoon, fans can expect more fireworks as Delta Force faces the youthful Under-17 side at Edo Boys High School, and Dolphins battle Crusaders at Iyoba College — both matches set for 1:30 p.m.

The league will run through a round-robin phase, with the top four sides advancing to the Super 4 playoffs, and will climax with a grand finale on December 7, 2025.

Meanwhile, there’s more reason to celebrate in Edo cricket circles as Dr. Uyi Akpata, Chairman of the Edo State Cricket Association and President of the Nigeria Cricket Federation, has been conferred with the SWAN Distinguished Service Award (SDSA) by the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN).

The prestigious national honour, presented during SWAN’s Diamond Jubilee celebration at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abuja, recognizes Akpata’s exceptional contributions to sports development and his unwavering support for sports journalism in Nigeria.

With the league set to ignite Benin’s cricket scene and its leader earning national recognition, Edo State continues to affirm its status as the heartbeat of Nigerian cricket.


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