Nigeria will have a date with history this Saturday, as the country’s under-19 cricket team stand a chance op picking a first ever global championship ticket outside the shores of their nation.
Sports247.ng reports that ongoing exploits of the team in Windhoek, Namibia would be granted a ticket to the 2020 U19 Cricket World Cup with victory on Saturday.
After enacting a fourth straight win in Thursday’s match with Tanzania, which Nigeria won with 151 runs, history would be made should The Junior Yellow Greens beat Sierra Leone, as it would earn a place at the Mundial next year, sequel to their spectacular run in the qualifiers.
Heading into Saturday’s last match, the Nigerian team got four straight victories, against the hosts Namibia, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania at the Wanderers Cricket ground in Windhoek.
In Thursday’s game against Tanzania, Nigeria recorded their highest bating total so far, with 211 runs for the loss of 3 wickets in 50 overs.
Tanzania won the toss and elected to field first, thus sending in Nigeria to bat for the fourth consecutive time in the tournament.
Elijah Olaleye and Runsewe Suleimon opened the bating with a comfortable display of 97 runs partnership in 30.1 overs.
Suleimon then fell for 43 runs off 89 balls, while Danladi Isaac scored 31 runs of 40 balls as well.
Olaleye, who was named man-of-the-match with his 110 runs not out off 157 balls, then produced a sublime display of bating prowess to hit 110 runs off 153 balls unbeaten in 50 overs.
In the second innings, the bowling attack of The Junior Yellow Greens were too strong for the Tanzanians, as Nigeria’s captain, Sylvester Okpe topped the onslaught with 4 wickets for 19 runs in 8.2 overs.
Peter Aho got 3 wickets, 3 maidens and conceded 7 runs with economy of 0.87, while left hand seamer, Mohammed Taiwo, got 2 wickets, as the Nigerians restricted Tanzania to 60 runs all out in 27.2 overs.
