Ghana gain promotion in Benoni

Willowmoore Park, the home of African development cricket and the Africa Cricket Association (ACA), hosted the Pepsi International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Africa T20 Division Two qualifying tournament, from Saturday, September 20, to Wednesday, September 24.

The tournament saw six developing African cricketing nations battling it out for continental glory and a place in the ICC Africa T20 Division One, with the long-term goal of qualifying for an associate nation position at the 2016 ICC World T20, in India.

The competing teams were Ghana, Zambia, Nigeria, Seychelles, Swaziland and Mozambique.

Some fiery cricket was played between the Division Two African nations and, heading into the final day on Heritage Day, in South Africa, there were some surprises in store.

The statisticians had to sharpen their pencils and whip out their calculators to work out the net run rate, to determine the overall winner between Zambia and Ghana, who both ended with eight points and joint top of the log.

As per the playing conditions of the tournament, it was Ghana who would emerge victorious and earn their promotion to Division One, due to a superior net run rate.

Ghana’s hopes were pinned on winning their final game against Mozambique by a big margin, as well as a Nigerian victory over Zambia, on Willowmoore’s main oval.

Ghana managed to put the Mozambicans to the sword and won the game by 131 runs, while their qualification to the next level of African cricket was ensured when the Nigerians defeated Zambia by 61 runs.

The final points table and galleries from the final day can be found at www.benonicitytimes.co.za.