INTERVIEW I Refused my mother's demands to abandon Cricket – Nigeria's Centurian

Piety set the record as the first female Nigerian player to score 100 runs in a T20 game format at the national championship in 2021. In 2022, she did it again in a T20i tournament during the 2023 ICC Women's U-19 T20 World Cup qualifiers.

At 14, Lucky Piety has taken cricket by storm in the country but almost failed to continue the journey because her mother did not support it. In this interview, she disclosed to Pulse Sports how her grandmother supported her in becoming the first female Nigerian cricketer to score a century in a T20 format game.

Piety set the record as the first female Nigerian player to score 100 runs in a T20 game format at the national championship in 2021. In 2022, she did it again in a T20i tournament during the 2023 ICC Women's U-19 T20 World Cup qualifiers.

When did you start playing Cricket?

I started playing cricket in 2018. I started at a junior female tournament that the wife of the NCF president organises. In 2019, I went for the National U-17 Championship in Abuja, and that was when my career started to flourish. I also took part in the second edition of the PWC championship in 2021, which was hosted in Benin City, and that was where I scored my first century.

How does being the first Nigerian lady to score a century feel?

It's amazing because those things happen when you don't even expect them. To me, the score was unexpected because my cricket was not top-notch, and I didn't realise 100 runs was something massive that would be celebrated as much as that. Even after scoring, I just came out, and the next thing was getting my scholarship. I thank the president for that, and at that point, even if that's the only thing I achieve in this cricket, I feel fulfilled already.

What is the scholarship about?

The scholarship covered my secondary school till university at any institution of my choice. Right now, I am done with secondary school, and I am preparing for JAMB. I'm looking forward to studying theatre and media arts because that is also part of my life. I socialize well, and I am very friendly, and I believe I will be very good in that field.

Did your parents support you when you started playing cricket?

Starting cricket, I wasn't bad, and I got a lot of encouragement from my senior colleagues. But at home, I had issues with my mom because she was overprotective. And I understand her fears, because, as the first child, she wanted to keep me within network coverage and doesn't want me to go out of parental control. She feels if I travel, she doesn't know what I am doing there and all that.

But I had someone like Godsent, and that is my grandmother. She was always supportive. And if not for her, that tournament where I got my scholarship, I could have missed it. My mother had already insisted I was not going, and I already succumbed after pleading and doing all sorts of house chores to appease her. A day or two days before I was supposed to join other Southsouth players in Benin, my grandmother asked that I come to her place to help her. It was even my mother that delivered her message.

So, when I went to my grandma, she asked me if I wanted to play in the tournament, and I said yes. I mean, it was a big opportunity; my name was on the list, and the tournament was in Benin, not even far from Ekpoma. So, she took out N1,500 from some church money that was with her because she also said she had debtors owing her. But it was too early to go ask for money, and I needed to travel that early morning. In short, she used that money while she waited for her debtors to pay so she could return it. I remember transport was N1,300, and my grandfather also gave me N500 for me to eat on the way because it was so early that I didn’t take breakfast before leaving. She also gave me her small phone, so I could call her when I get to Benin.

While in Benin during the tournament, I got a call that my mom was angry that I left without her permission. That made my grandma very emotional.

After the 100 runs, the president asked for my mother's account number, and I gave them my grandmother's account number. Eventually, they insisted it had to be my mother's account. At that point too, I knew it was going to be a testament to my mom that I was up to something good.

Aside from safety, the major thing my mother was protecting was my education, so, getting the scholarship was like a relief for her too. She was happy that my education was secured and that was the turning point. She was like, carry on.

How did she [Mother] feel when you won the scholarship?

If the scholarship was not involved, I think my cricket would have stopped because I disobeyed her, but she was happy because education was already involved.

How have you been combining Cricket with Education?

I haven't missed school because of cricket. The NCF will never allow you to leave your education because of a tournament. For example the last Kibuwka, I was not part of the team because I was writing exams. And that is why I am happy this one is holding when I'm out of secondary school. Again, during our preparation for this, the President still paid for our jamb coaching. So we were moving from training to jamb lessons.

Who do you look up to in Cricket?

There are lots of players I look up to, even in our team. Our captain, Blessing Etim is one of the people I look up to, and I want to surpass her achievements with Nigeria.

Away from cricket, do you play other sports?

I don't do any other sports. For me, the way some people see cricket as boring is how I see other sports.

What developed your passion for cricket?

The love for cricket came naturally to me because I started in school, and nobody told me to come to play. I remember when I left the Cosmopolitan Group of schools due to financial challenges. I joined Ujuelen Grammar School in Ekpoma, and I just fell in love with the sports from there. It was intriguing to see people following the ball. It makes you exert not so much energy, but you have to keep thinking, do the basics, and read the game yourself even while playing. Just apply yourself, like our coach will say, don't try too hard even when it's hard.

What's the plan for the Nigeria National team?

By the grace of God, the women qualifiers that are coming up, I am looking forward to us qualifying because we have not done that before. We have always been very close, and I feel there is no time for catching up again. When we go into the tournament, we know what we are going for, and we are getting there.

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