The Edo State Cricket Association’s Patreli Partners Secondary Schools Girls Competition got off to an exciting start on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, with Iyoba Girls College and Ohonre Grammar School emerging as the standout teams on an action-packed opening day in Benin City.
The competition, organised by the Edo State Cricket Association in collaboration with Patreli Partners, featured six schools divided into two groups, with matches played simultaneously at the Centre of Excellence, Iyoba Girls College, and the High Performance Centre, Edo Boys High School.
At the Centre of Excellence, host school Iyoba Girls College recorded two victories to finish as Group A winners, while Benin Technical College secured the runners-up position. Iyoba opened their campaign with a 13-run victory over Benin Technical College, posting 46 runs for nine wickets before restricting their opponents to 33 runs all out in 9.2 overs.
Benin Technical College bounced back in their second match with a convincing nine-wicket victory over Idia College, chasing down a target of 20 runs in just 2.1 overs after dismissing their opponents for 19. Iyoba subsequently completed their perfect day with another nine-wicket victory over Idia College, reaching their target of 24 runs in 3.2 overs after Idia had posted 23 runs for eight wickets.
At the High Performance Centre, Ohonre Grammar School dominated Group B with two victories to finish as group winners, while Ujoelen Secondary School, Ekpoma, secured the runners-up position. Emotan College, meanwhile, failed to record a victory. Ohonre began with a nine-wicket win over Emotan College, successfully chasing a target of 25 runs after restricting their opponents to 24. They followed that with an impressive performance against Ujoelen, who had posted 47 runs before being bowled out in 9.2 overs. Ohonre responded with an aggressive batting display, reaching the target in just 6.3 overs without losing a wicket to secure another nine-wicket victory.
Ujoelen Grammar School rounded off the day’s fixtures with a 10-wicket victory over Emotan College. After Emotan posted 31 runs, Ujoelen comfortably reached the target of 32 in 5.1 overs without losing a wicket, securing their first win of the competition.
With the group stage concluded, the semi-final pairings have been confirmed for Thursday, November 12, at the Centre of Excellence, Iyoba Girls College. Group A winners Iyoba Girls College will face Group B runners-up Ujoelen Secondary School in the first semi-final at 12 noon, while Group B winners Ohonre Grammar School will take on Group A runners-up Benin Technical College at 2:15pm.
The competition will reach its climax on Friday, November 13, with the third-place match scheduled for 10am, followed by the final at 12:30pm. The closing ceremony and awards presentation will take place at 2:30pm.
The competition provides an opportunity to promote girls’ cricket at the secondary school level while encouraging participation and developing young talents across Edo State.
