NIGERIA DEFEATS BOTSWANA AND GHANA TO KEEP QUALIFICATION HOPES ALIVE

 

The Nigeria Cricket National Men’s team AKA Yellow Greens puts aside day 1 disappointment against Kenya to record back to back wins against Botswana and West Africa rivals Ghana.

 

BOTSWANA vs NIGERIA (21/05/2019)

In day 2 of the ongoing ICC T-20 World Cup qualifier Africa Finals in Uganda, team Nigeria recovered from day one set back when they faced Botswana.

 

Botswana won the toss and elected to field first thereby sending in Nigeria to bat. Nigeria played a well-constructed innings in the opening stages but stumbled later in the game with wickets falling at quick successions. At the end of 20 overs, Nigeria managed a total score of 119 runs all out in the 20th over

Young Isaac Danladi from the victorious U-19 team led the way for Nigeria with 37 runs strongly supported by Joshua Ayannaike with 33 runs as the best performers with the bat for Nigeria.

 

 

In the second innings, Botswana started brightly in their run chase but the bowling attack of Nigeria was too strong as they struggled to string up a decent partnership. Isaac Okpe and Isaac Danladi tore into the hearts of the Botswana batting order to record an impressive bowling statistics of 2 wickets for 17 runs and 2 wickets for 23 runs in 4 overs respectively.

At the end of the second innings Botswana could only manage a total of 108 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in 20 overs.

 

Isaac Danladi was named man of the match.

 

Nigeria won by 11runs.

  

 

 

GHANA vs NIGERIA (22/5/2019)

 

Day 3 began with the freshness of the West Africa rivalry between Nigeria and Ghana. The most recent duel which qualified both countries for this tournament happened in Nigeria just over 12 months ago with Ghana emerging as victors.

The only constant thing in life is changed and with that defeat fresh in the minds of the Yellow Greens, the only way out was to serve the revenge very cold and no better stage to do it.

 

Ghana won the toss and elected to field first sending in Nigeria to bat. Nigeria set off on a decent note and progressed through the opening stages of the innings quite comfortably with 68 runs for the loss of 2 wickets in 12 overs. A little scare in the middle of the innings with the loss of Isaac Danladi for no runs but Captain Ademola Onikoyi took charge of proceedings to eventually stare Nigeria to a quite comfortable score of 135 runs for the loss of 8 wickets in 20 overs.

 

 

Ademola Onikoyi led the batting onslaught with 49 runs off 35 balls, strongly supported by Ovais Yusuf with 33 runs off 44 balls and late but valuable additions by Vincent Adewoye with 23 runs off 13 balls not out.

 

 

In the second innings, Isaac Okpe turned on the pressure on the Ghanaian opening pair to force errors and prevent the use of the bating power play overs. However, it was Vincent Adewoye who took the game away from their opponent by ripping through the middle order taking 4 wickets and conceding 18 runs in 4 overs with Isaac Danladi off spin producing 2 wickets for 10 runs in 3 overs.

 

Vincent Adewoye was named man of the match with an overall statistics of 23 runs off 13 balls and 4 wickets.

 

 

Nigeria eventually restricted Ghana to a total of 107 runs for the loss of 8 wickets in 20 overs.

 

Nigeria will face Namibia in their next fixture on Thursday 23rd May 2019