Cricket: Nigeria women edge Zimbabwe in tense World Cup qualifier victory
Nigeria’s U-19 Women’s cricket team continued their impressive run at the ICC U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifiers in Kigali with a dramatic one-wicket victory over Zimbabwe on Monday.
The thrilling win keeps Nigeria on track to secure the sole ticket to the 2025 ICC U-19 Women’s World Cup, set to take place in Malaysia.
Led by captain Piety Lucky, the Nigerian side showcased resilience against the tournament favourites, Zimbabwe. Having already claimed victory over Tanzania in their opening match, Nigeria followed up with another strong performance, thanks to the outstanding bowling display of Peace Usen and Lillian Ude.
Zimbabwe, after winning the toss and electing to bat, found themselves struggling against Nigeria’s bowling attack. Peace Usen set the tone early, taking three wickets for just 16 runs in her four overs. Lillian Ude, the Player of the Match from the previous game, continued her brilliant form, grabbing another three wickets, raising her tournament tally to eight. Anointed Akhigbe also contributed with three wickets, as Zimbabwe were all out for a modest 77 runs in 19.4 overs.
In response, Nigeria’s batting lineup faced a stiff challenge from Zimbabwe’s bowlers. Only Omosigho Eguakun (15) and Peculiar Agboya (13) managed to reach double digits. Despite losing wickets consistently, Nigeria managed to inch closer to Zimbabwe’s total. The game came down to the last ball, where Peace Usen scored a crucial single, sealing the victory for Nigeria at 78/9 after 20 overs.
With this win, Nigeria sits atop Group B with two victories, while Zimbabwe and Tanzania each have one win. Nigeria’s next match is against Malawi on Wednesday, September 25th, with Malawi currently at the bottom of the table.
The tournament’s top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals, inching closer to the coveted World Cup spot. In Group A, Uganda and Rwanda have both won their first two matches and are currently in the lead.
Nigeria will hope to maintain their momentum as they pursue the sole qualification spot for the 2025 ICC U-19 Women’s World Cup in Malaysia.
