Nigeria’s Senior Men’s Cricket Team, on Saturday, defeated Saint Helena by 118 runs in the ongoing International Cricket Council (ICC) T20 World Cup Africa Sub-Regional C Qualifiers in Abuja.
Nigeria’s batting contributions on the day supported their decision to bat first against Saint Helena after winning the toss at the Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) Oval B.
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Although they lost opener Selim Salau in the third over for 10 runs off 8 balls, Sulaimon Runsewe’s 60 runs off 51 balls steadied the innings for the home side.
Runsewe, who seemed to be enjoying his time at the crease, was sent packing for an LBW in the 14.2 overs, leaving Elijah Olaleye (46 off 36) and Danladi Isaac (48 off 26), both not out, to finish the Nigerian innings on 185/2 in 20 overs.
In reply, Saint Helena struggled with the bat, with no batter scoring 20 runs or more. Scott Crowie’s 17 off 32, Aiden Leo’s 18 off 27, and David Young’s 13 off 12 were the top batting performances for the side.
Nigeria’s bowlers, led by former Under-19 captain Rdiwan Kareem, ensured that the likes of Brett Isaac, Cliff Richards, Jamie Essex, and Andre Yon were dismissed for ducks.
Kareem was the standout bowler with four dismissals, while captain Sylvester Okpe sent two batters back to the pavilion. Peter Aho, Taiwo Mohammed, and Isaac each picked up one wicket, restricting Saint Helena to 67/10 in 19.1 overs.
Nigeria won by 118 runs.
Nigeria will next play against Côte d’Ivoire before facing Sierra Leone, Eswatini, and Botswana.
Two of the top teams in the tournament will qualify for the ICC Africa Qualifiers in 2025.
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