Our Journey So Far
Ghana played its first “international” as long ago as 1904, a two-day test match in Accra against Nigeria, who won by nine wickets. The contest resumed on an annual basis in 1947 and over the next four decades schools and colleges became more involved, notably in the Greater Accra, Central, Western and Eastern regions of the country.
The spread caught the attention of the universities, training colleges and communities and by 1993 talents were identified at grassroots level to form juvenile teams that took part in the North West Africa Quadrangular tournament. At the turn of the century the tournament was expanded to include Mali and Morocco, being re-designated the North West African Cricket Conference in 2007.
Ghana competed internationally for time in 2006, finishing in a hugely encouraging third place, and it followed and it followed that up by winning the next event – in South Africa 2008 – to gain promotion to Division Two.
Ghana’s rise up the rankings continued in 2011 with a second place finish at the Pepsi ICC Africa Division Two, not only earning it promotion but also a place in the ICC World Cricket League Division Eight tournament to be held in Samoa in 2012. Ghana also showed its capacity to stage international events when it successfully hosted the Pepsi ICC Division Three tournament in Accra in February 2011.
With increased government support for lesser-known sports, the establishment of cricket in schools is under way via a vibrant national cricket development programme and plans are afoot to establish more cricket grounds. In July 2011 the Ghana Cricket Association (GCA), in cooperation with Travellers Worldwide, launched the “Coach Cricket Project” to bring the sport to under-privileged children in Accra.
The GCA has shown commitment in promoting the sport at all levels in our educational institutions as well as communities. Just as significant to the development of the game is the participation and support of the expatriate community in Ghana.
