Nigeria started to play cricket since the late 19th century, British introduced the game in the country contacts between the administration in Lagos and the counterpart of the min Gold Coast which converted to Ghana played a international in 1904, the Ghana won the match by 22 runs.
An annual fixture became the match , and the multi racial matches were the first three match. For European match was the fourth fixture in December 1906. In 1907 the people of the Africa started to play their own fixture annually. They stopped the international match for the First World War, and until 1920 did not restart.
The Cricket began and became more efficiently organized two cricket association in the country, for the European formed in 1932 and for African being formed in 1933. The England team’s first class cricketers started tour in Ghana to play annual matches, before the Second World War the 1939 match was the last , there Ghana won by 58 runs.
In 1947 they resumed the match after the War with a five days match which was finished by draw. The match of 1949 was the way of the Ghana, because the number of European worker reduced from the country, increased the performance of the African players and began to organized the cricket by multi racial players in 1956.
The Nigeria got independence in 1960, they took much for cricket. In 1964 they started to play annual match against Sierra Leone and the Gambia and continued to contest until 1970 at that time the people Nigeria began to more attractive for foot ball. The cricket began to lost its popularity. Tanzania toured to Nigeria in 1974, there played three matches, Nigeria lost two matches and another drew. Nigeria also defeated heavily in the MCC match in 1976. the problem was internally for both the Nigeria Cricket Association and Nigerian player , they started from the decline standards. The most of the player were formed in Nigeria cricket from West African Cricketers. They got the associated membership of ICC in 1976.
In the ICC Trophy tournament the West African team took part in1982 and played upto 1997 before the withdrew from the tournament of 2001 in Ontario. Though Nigeria withdrawn from the tournament so on their own occasion they continued to played cricket . In 2002 West African Cricket Conference ceased to exits from the Nigerian Cricket team and they became the associate membership of ICC in the same year.
The first tournament on their own after becoming the ICC member was the Africa Cup of 2002 in Zambia. Nigeria won only one match against Malawi and secured fourth place in the group. Africa Cricket Association Championship 2004 their place was fifth. They won only against Tanzania and failing to qualify for the ICC Trophy of 2005.
The World Cricket league Africa Region Nigeria took part in the division two in August 2006 in Tanzania and placed last. They were unable play in the tournament in 2008 so they relegated them for Division three. In 2007and 2008 the North West Africa Championship Nigeria won the both match. World Cricket League Africa Region in 2008. Nigeria played in Division two. They qualified in Division seven for ICC World Cricket League 2009. In the tournament their position was third thus remained in the Division. Nigeria took part in the ICC World Cricket League of 2011 in Division seven in Botswana. Nigeria qualified for ICC World Cricket League Division Six in 2011 by came second in the tournament . In may 2011 they toured to South Africa to attend in ICC 2011 Africa Division two (T20) on way to qualifying ICC World Twenty 20 of 2012, Nigeria won the tournament and qualified. ICC Africa Division One 2011 .
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