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THE national women’s cricket team locks horns with visiting Nigeria as the Women’s Intercontinental Championship kicks off at Annadil Burhani ground in Dar es Salaam today, Tuesday.
The championship organised by Tanzania Cricket Association (TCA) and dubbed Azam Women Cricket Tournament 2015 due to sponsorship reasons, has attracted three teams - Tanzania, Nigeria and Mumbai.
TCA official Kazim Nasser said at the weekend that preparations for the tournament were in top gear and that the tournament will be played in 2 formats - the 50 overs and T20.
Nasser said the three teams will play each other in the 50 overs games between today and Thursday, with the T20 event slated for August 22-13 at the Dar es Salaam Gymkhana Club ground.
“The Mumbai Cricket Association team with some senior and youth players is coming to the country after the Tanzania women team toured Mumbai in April 2014 and invited them to visit us,” he said. Nigeria and Mumbai arrived in Dar es Salaam on Sunday midnight.
The Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) named a team of 14 players and officials for the tournament.
“The girls have been in camp for two weeks going through drills and training in preparation for this tournament and there have been signs of great improvement,” NCF said in their official website.
The last time Nigeria presented a female cricket team outside the shores of the country was in 2011.
“In a bid to resurrect female cricket in Nigeria we have decided to partake in this tournament to give our girls a new sense of direction in this game and also provide a pathway for the U-17 girls junior team,” the NCF statement read.
