The 2026 South-South Female Cricket League will bowl off from March 3 to 8 across three centres in Benin City and Port Harcourt, as preparations reach completion for the regional women’s tournament.
The competition forms part of a packed calendar for the Nigeria Cricket Federation, with several women’s national team players expected to return to the Female Yellow Greens camp for the NCF T20I tournament immediately after the league.
A total of nine clubs will compete, including defending champions Idia Royals, Adolor Amazons, Emotan Queens Cricket Club and Ekpoma Supernova Cricket Club, all from Edo State.
Others are Delta Force Cricket Club, Uniport Pathfinders and Dragons Cricket Club from Bayelsa State, while Smashers and Rangers Cricket Club represent Akwa Ibom State.
Matches will be staged across three venues. Two centres in Benin City—the NCF High-Performance Centre at Edo Boys High School, Ugbowo, and the Centre of Excellence for Women’s Cricket at Iyoba Girls College—will host fixtures, alongside the University of Port Harcourt Cricket Pitch in Port Harcourt.
The league will be played in a round-robin format, with the top teams from each centre advancing to a Super Series to determine the overall champions and podium positions.
Sponsored by the Chairman of the Edo State Cricket Association and NCF President, Uyi Akpata, the South-South Female Cricket League was established in 2021 as Nigeria’s first-ever women’s cricket league.
“This league provides a competitive platform for women’s cricket to thrive in the zone and across Nigeria,” Akpata said.
“Gender balance and equal participation in men’s and women’s cricket are central to the sport’s development, especially with numerous local and international engagements lined up for women’s teams this year.”
