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Ghana Cricket Association welcomes Strongroom CC for historic friendly matches
Accra, Ghana - Nov 11, 2024 - The Ghana Cricket Association (GCA) recently hosted the Strongroom Cricket Club from North London, UK, for a series of international friendly matches, marking the country's return to the global cricket scene after a 26-year absence.
The week-long tour, which took place from October 31 to November 10, saw the 12-man Strongroom team compete in six matches against various Ghanaian teams, including the Obuasi Select 11, Supreme Cricket Club, National U-19, and Expatriate 11.
Team Leader Jon Gower expressed gratitude to the GCA for hosting them, stating, “Over the last eleven years, we have organised six international tours with our first in 2013 and we have been to India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Rwanda, Tanzania, and now Ghana. We have just come to enjoy cricket in Africa because it is an interesting place to play cricket,” he noted.
Gower emphasized that his team prioritizes friendly, non-competitive cricket, focusing on meeting new people and experiencing different playing styles.
“Strongroom CC play 'friendly', non-league cricket. We are based in Highgate Woods, North London, where we play Saturday fixtures every fortnight. On the alternating weekends we play an away match, again on a Saturday (occasionally Sundays).
“We play both to win and to enjoy the game. As for our 'standard', we are of mixed ability like most friendly teams, but we generally win more games than we lose, “he explained.
Ghana Cricket Association President Emmanuel Owusu-Ansah Asare welcomed the team and expressed his delight in Ghana hosting an international friendly match on the newly acquired wicket turf.
He noted that the year had been good for Ghana because cricket was for the first time added to the sports code for the African Games which propelled the country to have its first wicket turf in over a century and played an international match for the first time in over two decades.
He also commended the Strongroom Cricket Club for choosing Ghana as part of their tour destinations and assured them of future collaborations when need be.
MATCH RESULTS:
- Strongroom CC lost four matches and won two
- Played three games against Obuasi Select 11 and one each against Supreme Cricket Club, National U-19, and Expatriate 11
The GCA presented the Strongroom team with a plaque and national souvenirs, while the visitors gifted the GCA President with an autographed jersey and donated basic cricket equipment.
Source: Lead News Online
