Steve Tikolo, the Nigeria Cricket Coach for the male cricket team and high-performance manager of the Nigeria Cricket Federation, has encouraged the Yellow Greens to maintain their momentum in the ongoing West Africa Trophy tournament.
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This follows their opening-day victory against Rwanda on Wednesday.
Nigeria is hosting the first edition of the West Africa Trophy series at the Tafawa Balewa Cricket Oval in Lagos. The Yellow Greens faced Rwanda in the tournament’s opening game and secured a 54-run win.
After almost a year without competitive international cricket, Nigeria won the toss and chose to bat first. Captain Sylvester Okpe’s decision set the stage for an exciting first innings, with Rwanda’s spin bowlers providing a strong challenge.
Despite losing five wickets midway through their innings, Nigeria managed to post a total of 127 runs for the loss of eight wickets in their 20 overs.
In the second innings, Rwanda’s batting started slowly and they were eventually restricted to 73 runs all out in 18.2 overs, resulting in Nigeria’s victory.
Chiemelie Udekwe earned the man-of-the-match award for his performance, taking three wickets for 14 runs and delivering one maiden over.
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While pleased with the win, Coach Tikolo acknowledged that there is room for improvement, especially in the team’s batting.
He highlighted the need for more practice and expressed confidence that the team’s momentum would grow with each game.
Nigeria will aim to secure a second consecutive victory when they face Sierra Leone in their second game. Rwanda and Ghana will also compete in the tournament’s second match of the day.
The West Africa Trophy tournament provides an opportunity for these cricketing nations to compete at a regional level and showcase their talent.
Nigeria’s opening win sets a positive tone for the team as they look ahead to their upcoming matches in the tournament.
