ARTICLE ON THE 1st Edition of NORTH WEST AFRICA’S CRICKET CONFERENCE NWACC WOMEN’S CRICKET T20 TOURNAMENT IN THE GAMBIA 31st OCTOBER – NOVEMBER 4th 2015

Women cricket started in West Africa approximately 8 years ago when the ICC-AFRICA regional office made it mandatory for all members in Africa to initiate a sustainable women cricket development programme which NWACC members complied with. Since then, there has been failed efforts by members to organize and host the first ever women’s cricket tournament in North-West Africa largely due to funds.

The Africa cricket Association ACA in 2011 invited Sierra Leone and Nigeria to compete in the ICC-AFRICA women’s t20 cricket tournament held in Uganda, but couldn’t withstand the standards of the likes of Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. Since 2011, NWACC members has been working on developing the skills and fitness of their female cricket players in order to match that of the eastern and southern Africans counterparts. Finally, it was agreed in the ACA’s AGM of 2015 that NWACC should host women’s cricket t20 tournament so that NWACC women and girls would have the opportunity to be exposed to international cricket tournament and gain lots of international experience needed to compete internationally. Nigeria and the Gambia expressed interest to host the first ever women cricket tournament in north west Africa but Gambia finally won the race to host.

Ghana, Sierra Leone , Mali and the host Gambia were the participants, the tournament was co-sponsored by the ICC-AFRICA regional office in Benoni, Republic of South Africa, Sierra Leone had to travel to the Gambia through the Republic of Guinea by road due to the unavailability of direct flight to the Gambia from Freetown as a result of the outbreak of the Ebola virus in Sierra Leone , Guinea, and Liberia, Mali also traveled by road to the Gambia while Ghana used an indirect route to the Gambia through Lagos, Federal Republic of Nigeria but faced flight delays and traveling hassles. The Ghanaian team arrived in Gambia lately for the tournament and by two halves; the final Ghanaian team’s contingent arrived after the first batch of matches had played due to the flight.

The medical research center MRC ground at BACAUW the Gambia was in a poor shape when inspected by Ghana & Sierra Leone, the grass was thicker that gave made it difficult to score four boundaries, 2s and 3s. the same applied for the July 22^nd The tansportation system was good, poor hotel accommodation and reporting domestically was good but international media found it difficult to access information about the tournament. In general, the Gambia Cricket Association- GCA did well by hosting such a symbolic, historic important cricket event. Ghana has opted to host the 2^nd edition NWACC women cricket tournament in 2016. NWACC need sponsorship in order for the tournament to be held annually.

The tournament was conducted in a round robin format, home and away basis. Sierra Leone won the tournament having won all their six matches convincingly with maximum (18) points with superior net run rate, Gambia the host came 2^nd with (12) points having lost only to Sierra Leone twice,, Ghana are in 3^rd and Mali fourth.

Final log/table with one result Ghana vs Gambia remaining.

AMBASSADOR SULLAY DARAMMY, SIERRA LEONE HIGH COMMISSIONER TO THE GAMBIA MAKING A STAMENT AT THE PRESENTATION CEREMONY OF  1^st EDITION OF NWACC WOMENT T20 CRICKET TOURNAMENT HELD IN THE GAMBIA 2015

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT, SARAH JOHNSON CAPTAIN OF THE SIERRA LEONE NATIONAL WOMEN CRICKET TEAM, FRANCIS TREVOR SAMURA , CEO-SIERRA LEONE CRICKET ASSOCIATION-SLCA, AMBASSADOR SULLAY DARAMMY AND HAJA SADIATTA SESAY, SIERRA LEONE’S HIGH COMMISSIONER & DEPUTY HIGH COMMISSIONER TO THE GAMBIA ON A COURTSEY CALL .

THE SIERRA LEONE NATIONAL WOMEN’S CRICKET TEAM WITH SIERRA LEONE HIGH COMMISSION STAFF IN THEGAMBIA. CHAMPIONS OF NWACC’S 1^ST EDITION WOMEN’S CRICKET TOURNAMENT 2015. SIERRA LEONE WAS TOO STRONG FOR THEIR OPPONENTS, HAVING PREPARED FOR THIS TOURNAMENT SINCE 2012 AND DESPITE THE OUTBREAK OF EBOLA IN SIERRA LEONE THAT LED TO A COMPLETE BAN ON ALL PUBLIC GATTERING INCLUDING SPORTTING ACTIVITIES, SIERRA LEONE MANAGED TO ASSEMBLE A TEAM THAT WON ALL SIX MATCHES AGAINST GHANA, MALI AND THE GAMBIA WHICH MADE THEM WORTHY CHAMPIONS.

GAMBIA’S WOMAN OF THE SERIES WITH LINDA BULL, SIERRA LEONE’S VICE CAPTAIN

SIERRA LEONE CRICKET ASSOCIATION MAKIN A PRESENTATION OF TROPHIES OF THE NWACC TOURNEY TO THE MINISTER OF SPORT PAUL KAMARA IN FREETOWN

SIERRA LEONE’S FOUR OF THE TOP SIX PLAYERS OF THE NWACC WOMEN’S TOURNAMENT IN GAMBIA. LEFT TO RIGHT, AMINATA KAMARA ALL ROUNDER, CAPTAIN SARRAH JOHNSON ALL ROUNDER, AND SIERRA LEONE’S REVELATION PLAYER OF THE YEAR JANET KOWA AND VICE CAPTAIN LINDA BULL.

CHAIRMAN BERESFORD BOURNES-COKER DELIVERING A SPEECH ON THE PRESENTATION CEREMONEY

FOUR OF THE HEROINS OF SIERRA LEONE AND NORTH WEST AFRICA. FROM LEFT, AN MARIE MINICA KAMARA, VICE CAPTAIN LINDA BULL, JANET KOWA AND AMIMINATA KAMARA

LEFT TO RIGHT, IBRAHIM BANGAURA AND PAUL KAMARA – DIRECTOR OF SIERRA LEONE’S NATIONAL SPORT COUNCIL AND MINISTER OF SPORT.

ABOVE & BELOW, CHAMPIONS, NWACC’S 1^st EDITION WOMEN’S CRICKET TOURNAMENT IN GAMBIA 2015, SIERRA LEONE NATIONAL WOMEN’S CRICKET TEAM CELEBRATION HISTORIC AND SYMBOLIC VICTORY OVER THEIR WEST AFRICAN RIVALS AT THE JULY 22^nd SQUARE IN BANJUL THE GAMBIA.

BELOW; AMBASSADOR SULLAY DARAMMY- SIERRA LEONE’S HIGH COMMISSIONER TO THE GAMBIA AT THE JULY 22md SQUARE CRICKET GROUND TO SUPPORT HIS FELLOW COMPATRIOTS.

HEAD OF CHANCERY AND MINISTER COUNCELLOR ANDREW S.A KAMARA & AMBASSADOR SULLAY DARAMMY AT THE JULY 22^nd SQUARE IN BANGUL THE GAMBIA.

BELOW, TEAM SIERRA LEONE ON A PRE MATCH EXERCISE AT THE JULY 22^nd SQUARE CRICKET GROUND IN BANJUL THE GAMBIA PREPARING TO FACE GHANA IN THE 2^nd LEG

GHANA VS SIERRA LEONE 2^nd LEG ACTIONS

ABOVE, GAMBIA NATIONAL WOMEN’S CRICKET TEAM RUNNER-UP NWACC’S EDITION OF WOMEN’S CRICKET T20 TOURNAMENT WORKING THEIR WAY OUT OF THE FIELD HAVING LOST TO SIERRA LEONE IN THE 22^nd LEG. BELOW, GAMBIA NATIONAL WOMEN CRICKET TEAM SINGING THE GAMBIAN NATIONAL ANTHEM AND DOWN BELOW, CELEBRATING VICTORY OVER GHANA AND RUNNER-UP POSITION BY THE GAMBIAN NATIONAL WOMEN’S CRICKET TEAM.

BELOW; JOHNNY GOMEZ, RESPONDING TO QUESTIONS FROM THE GAMBIAN RADIO & TELEVISION SERVICES GRTS ON THE SUCCESS OF THE TOURNAMENT AND GAMBIA’S OVERALL WOMEN’S CRICKET DEVELOPMENT PLAN.

BELOW: GHANIAN WOMEN NATIONAL CRICKET TEAM HEAD COACH WITH THE GRTS ON GHANA’S STRATEGIC WOMEN’S CRICKET DEVELOPMENT PLAN AND GHANA’S VIEW ON THE ORGANANISATION AND EXPERIENCE OF THE NAWACC’S 1^st EDITION WOMEN’S CRICKET TOURNAMENT. DOWN BELOW: GHANA NATIONAL WOMEN’S CRICKET TEAM PRE-MATCH WARM UP

BELOW : MALI VS SIERRA LEONE 1^st LEG AT THE MRC GROUND, BACAUW THE GAMBIA

ABOVE, GHANA VS SIERRA LEONE 2^nd LEG AT THE JULY 22^nd SQUARE BANJUL THE GAMBIA. AFTER THE TOSS WHICH GHANA WON AND OPTED TO BOWL FIRST. TWO CAPTAINS

TROPHIES OF THE NWACC’S 1^st EDITION WOMEN’S CRICKET TOURNAMENT AT THE PRESENTATION CEREMONY. AND BELOW, AMASSADOR SULLAY DARAMMY IN WHITE SPECTATING A MATCH BETWEEN SIERRA LEONE AND GHANA

ABOVE: HOST GAMBIA NATIONAL WOMEN’S CRICKET TEAM AT THE PRESENTATION CEREMONY JULY 22^nd SQUARE

ABOVE: MALI NATIONAL WOMEN’S CRICKET TEAM

ABOVE: SIERRA LEONE- CHAMPIONS OF NWACC’S 1^ST EDITION WOMEN’S CRICKET T20