Ghana national cricket team

Last updated

Ghana
Flag of Ghana.svg
Ghana flag
Nickname(s)Black Batters [1]
Association Ghana Cricket Association
Personnel
Captain Samson Awiah
International Cricket Council
ICC status Associate member [2] (2017)
ICC region Africa
ICC RankingsCurrent [3] Best-ever
T20I 65th 28th (2 May 2019)
International cricket
First international Flag of the Gold Coast (1877-1957).svg Gold Coast v. Lagos Colony Flag of Lagos Colony (1888-1906).svg
(Lagos, 25 May 1904)
Twenty20 Internationals
First T20Iv Flag of Namibia.svg  Namibia at Kyambogo Cricket Oval, Kampala; 20 May 2019
Last T20Iv Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya at Achimota Oval B, Accra; 20 March 2024
T20IsPlayedWon/Lost
Total [4] 42 17/24
(1 tie, 0 no results)
This year [5] 2 0/2
(0 ties, 0 no results)
As of 20 March 2024

The Ghana national cricket team represents Ghana in men's international cricket. It is an associate member [2] of the International Cricket Council, which it joined as an affiliate member in 2002, and mainly plays matches in Africa Cricket Association tournaments. [6] Ghana Cricket Association promotes the sport in the country. [7]

Contents

A team representing the British Gold Coast played its first recorded match in 1904, and international matches from 1907. Known as Ghana after independence in 1957, until recent times the majority of the team's matches came against other West African teams, and occasionally against touring English teams. In 1976, Ghana joined the West Africa Cricket Council, with Ghanaian players representing the West African cricket team in international tournaments.

Following the breakup of the council, the Ghana Cricket Association gained affiliate membership of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2002, with the national side making its debut at an ICC tournament in 2004. The first ICC tournament for the team was in Division Three of 2006 World Cricket League Africa Region, where it finished in the third place. The team won the Division Three of 2008 World Cricket League Africa Region by defeating Swaziland in the final. [7]

History

Colonial era

CricketArchive records a team representing the Gold Coast, a British colony, as having played its first match in May 1904, against Lagos Colony (in present-day Nigeria). Similar fixtures were played in the following two seasons, with the venue alternating between Lagos and Accra. A team representing the Southern Nigeria Protectorate toured in April 1907. Similar matches were played again in 1911, 1912, and 1913, with the host alternating each year. [8] Although the sport had been introduced by British settlers, representative teams were multiracial from an early stage – the 1912 Gold Coast–Southern Nigeria fixture, the only pre-war match for which a scorecard is available, featured names like Otoo, Sagoe, Agbokpo, and Akufo (for Gold Coast), and Layode and Oseni (for Southern Nigeria). Gold Coast's Otoo took six wickets in Southern Nigeria's second innings, helping Gold Coast to an innings victory. [9] However, European-only matches were introduced around the same time, beginning in 1906 and ending only in 1956, the year before Ghanaian independence. [10] The Gold Coast's leading run-scorer in the inaugural European-only fixture was Gordon Guggisberg, who had earlier played a single first-class match (and was later Governor of the Gold Coast, from 1919 to 1927). [11] [12]

After a long gap, inter-colonial matches resumed in April 1926, when the Gold Coast played the Nigerian national team in Lagos. Gold Coast–Nigeria fixtures, both multiracial and European-only, were played almost annually from 1926 to 1939, and resumed again after World War II. [8] In several years the European-only fixtures were played in provincial cities like Kumasi and Ibadan, although multiracial games were played only in the capitals. [10] Gold Coast sides were occasionally bolstered by players of first-class standard – for instance, Cecil Pullan (Oxford University and Worcestershire) and Michael Green (Gloucestershire and Essex) appeared together in a 1937 match, [13] with Pullan appearing again after the war. [14] [15] The national side played its first match as "Ghana" less than a month after Kwame Nkrumah's independence declaration in March 1957, with annual Ghana–Nigeria matches occurring until 1964. [16]

West African era

A Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) side toured West Africa during the 1975–76 season, and played two matches at Accra's Achimota School in January 1976 – one against an Accra side and one against the Ghanaian national side. [17] The West Africa Cricket Council was formed later in 1976, with The Gambia and Sierra Leone joining Ghana and Nigeria as members. Consequently, with the exception of the quadrangular West African Championships, first held in 1976, [18] Ghanaian cricketers played international matches only for the combined West African team, which made its international debut at the 1982 ICC Trophy. [19] The West African side at the 1997 ICC Trophy was captained by Edinam Nutsugah, a Ghanaian. [20] At that tournament, another Ghanaian, Daniel Vanderpuje-Orgle, took 5/31 against Israel, one of only four five-wicket hauls at the tournament. [21] [22] However, the West Africa Cricket Council lost significance in 2000, when Nigeria applied for separate membership of the ICC. [23] The council was disbanded in 2003, with its members having become ICC members the previous year – Gambia, Ghana, and Sierra Leone were made affiliate members, and Nigeria an associate member. [24]

2000-2018

A 2000 CricInfo article noted that cricket in Ghana was then confined to the south of the country, played only in the capital and the cities of Kumasi and Obuasi. It was also said to be particularly popular amongst the expatriate British and Indian populations, with the main club league featuring two Indian teams out of four total. [25] Ghana played its first ICC tournament in March 2004, defeating Malawi in a play-off to finish third (of eight teams) in the Africa Affiliates Tournament. That tournament was part of the qualification process for the 2007 World Cup. [26] The inaugural edition of the World Cricket League commenced in 2007, preceded by various regional qualifying tournaments. At the 2006 Africa Division Three qualifier, Ghana placed third behind Mozambique and Sierra Leone, again defeating Malawi in a third-place playoff. [27] The playoff was noted for the performance of Ghanaian player Peter Ananya (a future national captain), who took 7/25 to bowl Malawi out for 41. [28]

Ghana won the 2008 Africa Division Three tournament by defeating Swaziland in the final, having earlier bowled Rwanda out for 23 in their semi-final. [29] [30] They were subsequently promoted to the 2008 Africa Division Two tournament, but could only place fifth from six teams. [31] This was enough, however, for Ghana to maintain its place for the 2010 Division Two event. At that tournament, they placed second to Zambia, securing entry to the 2012 Global Division Eight tournament. [32] The only African side at the eight-team tournament, played in Samoa, Ghana lost only two matches, both to Vanuatu, placing runner-up and qualifying for the 2013 Global Division Seven event. Three of the six sides there were African, the others being Nigeria and Botswana, the hosts. Ghana won only two matches, both against Germany, and were relegated back to the regional tournaments system. [33]

In international Twenty20 cricket, Ghana played its first tournaments in 2011, finishing runner-up to Nigeria in the 2011 Africa Division Two Twenty20 tournament and then fifth in 2011 Division One, both part of qualification for the 2012 World Twenty20. [34] [35] Earlier in the year, Ghana had hosted the Africa Division Three Twenty20, its first time hosting a senior ICC tournament. Ghana placed fourth at the 2012 Africa Division Two Twenty20, failing to qualify for the following year's Division One event. However, they went on to win the 2014 Division Two Twenty20, defeating Zambia on net run rate, and consequently progressing to the 2015 Africa Twenty20 Championship. [36] There, Ghana defeated Tanzania, Botswana, and Uganda (for the first time), finishing fourth behind Uganda on net run rate. Against Uganda (a previous winner of the tournament), Ghana had made only 74/9 from its 20 overs, but managed to bowl Uganda out for 69. [37]

In August 2018, they were included in the 2018 Africa T20 Cup tournament. [38] [39] However, Ghana declined Cricket South Africa's invite to compete in the tournament, and were replaced by Uganda. [40]

2018-Present

In April 2018, the ICC decided to grant full Twenty20 International (T20I) status to all its members. All Twenty20 matches played between Ghana and other ICC members after 1 January 2019 had the full T20I status. [41] Ghana's first T20I match was against Namibia on 20 May 2019, after finishing top of the North-Western sub-region qualification group, advancing to the Regional Final of the 2018–19 ICC World Twenty20 Africa Qualifier tournament. [42]

20 May 2019
13:50
Scorecard
Ghana  Flag of Ghana.svg
91/7 (20 overs)
v
Flag of Namibia.svg  Namibia
92/1 (10.5 overs)
Simon Ateak 26 (22)
Zhivago Groenewald 3/20 (4 overs)
Stephan Baard 52* (34)
Vincent Ateak 1/27 (3 overs)
Namibia won by 9 wickets
Kyambogo Cricket Oval, Kampala
Umpires: Iknow Chabi (Zim) and Kehinde Olanbiwonnu (Nga)
Player of the match: Stephan Baard (Nam)
  • Namibia won the toss and elected to field.
  • First ever T20I match for Ghana.

In 2021 Ghana was among five teams excluded from the ICC T20I Championship for failing to play enough fixtures in the relevant period, an effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. [43]

Grounds

Ghana adm location map.svg
Red pog.svg
class=notpageimage|
Location of international cricket matches played in Ghana

Tournament history

World Cricket League

ICC Africa Twenty20 Championship

Current squad

This lists all the players who have played for Ghana in the past 12 months or has been part of the latest T20I squad. Updated as of 15 October 2023.

NameAgeBatting styleBowling styleNotes
Batters
Rexford Bakum 24Right-handedRight-arm medium
James Vifah 34Right-handedRight-arm medium
Kevin Awala24Right-handedRight-arm off break
Alex Osei24Right-handed
Nurudeen Ibrahim22Right-handedRight-arm medium
All-rounders
Obed Harvey 33Left-handedLeft-arm medium
Samson Awiah24Right-handedRight-arm off break Captain
Wicket-keepers
Joseph Theodore24Right-handed
Spin Bowlers
Michael Aboagye 22Right-handedRight-arm leg break
Aziz Sualley25Right-handedRight-arm leg break
Pace Bowlers
Daniel Anefie 23Right-handedRight-arm medium
Kofi Bagabena 35Right-handedRight-arm medium
Godfred Bakiweyem 25Right-handedRight-arm medium
Syed Aqeel Israr36Right-handedRight-arm medium

Records and statistics

International Match Summary — Ghana [44]

Last updated 20 March 2024

Playing Record
FormatMWLTNRInaugural Match
Twenty20 Internationals4217241020 May 2019

Twenty20 International

T20I record versus other nations [44]

Records complete to T20I #2532. Last updated 20 March 2024.

OpponentMWLTNRFirst matchFirst win
vs Associate Members
Flag of Botswana.svg  Botswana 2020018 September 2022
Flag of Cameroon.svg  Cameroon 110006 December 20226 December 2022
Flag of Eswatini.svg  Eswatini 2200020 October 202120 October 2021
Flag of The Gambia.svg  Gambia 220008 December 20228 December 2022
Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya 3030021 May 2019
Flag of Lesotho.svg  Lesotho 1100017 October 202117 October 2021
Flag of Malawi.svg  Malawi 1100019 October 202119 October 2021
Flag of Mozambique.svg  Mozambique 2110016 September 202216 September 2022
Flag of Namibia.svg  Namibia 1010020 May 2019
Flag of Nigeria.svg  Nigeria 5050022 May 2019
Flag of Rwanda.svg  Rwanda 10451018 August 202118 August 2021
Flag of Seychelles.svg  Seychelles 1100016 October 202116 October 2021
Flag of Sierra Leone.svg  Sierra Leone 642005 December 20224 October 2023
Flag of Tanzania.svg  Tanzania 101004 December 2022
Flag of Uganda.svg  Uganda 4040023 May 2019

Other matches

For a list of selected international matches played by Ghana, see Cricket Archive.

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "icc-t20-world-cup-africa-final-unique-trophy-shoot-leaves-captains-in-awe". Cricket Uganda. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
  2. 1 2 "Ireland and Afghanistan ICC newest full members amid wide-ranging governance reform". International Cricket Council . 22 June 2017. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  3. ↑ "ICC Rankings". International Cricket Council.
  4. ↑ "T20I matches - Team records". ESPNcricinfo.
  5. ↑ "T20I matches - 2024 Team records". ESPNcricinfo.
  6. ↑ "Ghana". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  7. 1 2 "History". ICC Cricket. Archived from the original on 10 September 2015. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  8. 1 2 Other matches played by Gold Coast Archived 14 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine – CricketArchive. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  9. ↑ Gold Coast v Southern Nigeria, Southern Nigeria in Gold Coast 1911/12 – CricketArchive. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  10. 1 2 Other matches played by Gold Coast Europeans Archived 14 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine – CricketArchive. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  11. ↑ Gold Coast Europeans v Southern Nigeria Europeans, Southern Nigeria Europeans in Gold Coast 1906/07 – CricketArchive. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  12. ↑ Gordon Guggisberg – CricketArchive. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  13. ↑ Gold Coast Europeans v Nigeria Europeans, Nigeria Europeans in Gold Coast 1936/37 – CricketArchive. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  14. ↑ Cecil Pullan – CricketArchive. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  15. ↑ Michael Green – CricketArchive. Retrieved 1 April 2015
  16. ↑ Other matches played by Ghana Archived 12 March 2018 at the Wayback Machine – CricketArchive. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  17. ↑ Marylebone Cricket Club in West Africa 1975/76 – CricketArchive. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  18. ↑ Tony Munro (20 March 1999). "Sierra Leone war puts in doubt WACCQ participation" – ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  19. ↑ ICC Trophy matches played by West Africa – CricketArchive. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  20. ↑ Edinam Nutsugah – CricketArchive. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  21. ↑ Israel v West Africa, Carlsberg ICC Trophy 1996/97 (Plate) – CricketArchive. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  22. ↑ Daniel Vanderpuje-Orgle – CricketArchive. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  23. ↑ (21 September 2000). "Africa Cricket Association meeting: Nigeria and Tanzania to seek ICC Associate membership." – ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  24. ↑ Cricket – National Sports Authority of Ghana. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  25. ↑ Tony Munro (10 January 2000). "Cricket hangs on in Ghana" – ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  26. ↑ Ghana v Malawi, ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifying Affiliate Tournament 2003/04 (3rd Place Play-off) – CricketArchive. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  27. ↑ ICC World Cricket League Africa Region Division Three 2006 – CricketArchive. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  28. ↑ Ghana v Malawi, ICC World Cricket League Africa Region Division Three 2006 (3rd Place Play-off) – CricketArchive. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  29. ↑ Ghana v Rwanda, ICC World Cricket League Africa Region Division Three 2008 (Semi-Final) – CricketArchive. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  30. ↑ Ghana v Swaziland, ICC World Cricket League Africa Region Division Three 2008 (Final) – CricketArchive. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  31. ↑ ICC World Cricket League African Region Division Two 2008/09 Table – CricketArchive .Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  32. ↑ ICC World Cricket League Africa Region Division Two 2010 Table – CricketArchive. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  33. ↑ ICC World Cricket League Division Seven – ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  34. ↑ ICC World Cricket League Africa Region Division Two Twenty20 2011 – CricketArchive. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  35. ↑ ICC World Cricket League Africa Region Division One Twenty20 2011 – CricketArchive. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  36. ↑ ICC World Cricket League Africa Region Division Two Twenty20 2014/15 – CricketArchive. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  37. ↑ Franklin Kaweru (31 March 2015). "End of the road for Cricket Cranes" – Kawowo Sports. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  38. ↑ "CSA launches expanded Africa T20 Cup". Cricket365. 7 August 2018. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
  39. ↑ "Ghana and Nigeria set to join Kenya, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and South African domestic sides in expanded Africa T20 Cup". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
  40. ↑ "Uganda replaces Ghana in upcoming Africa T20 Cup". Cricket South Africa. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  41. ↑ "All T20 matches between ICC members to get international status". International Cricket Council . 26 April 2018. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  42. ↑ "Ghana and Nigeria advance to Africa finals". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
  43. ↑ Nepal, Netherlands gain in annual rankings update
  44. 1 2 "Records / Ghana / Twenty20 Internationals / Result summary". ESPNcricinfo . Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  45. ↑ "Records / Ghana / Twenty20 Internationals / Highest totals". ESPNcricinfo . Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  46. ↑ "Records / Ghana / Twenty20 Internationals / High scores". ESPNcricinfo . Retrieved 8 December 2022.
  47. ↑ "Records / Ghana / Twenty20 Internationals / Best bowling figures". ESPNcricinfo . Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  48. ↑ "Records / Ghana / Twenty20 Internationals / Most runs". ESPNcricinfo . Retrieved 21 May 2019.
  49. ↑ "Records / Ghana / Twenty20 Internationals / Most wickets". ESPNcricinfo . Retrieved 21 May 2019.
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