The Nigeria Junior YellowGreens have secured their return to Division One of the ICC U-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup Africa Qualifier after finishing second in the Division Two tournament in Rwanda.
Nigeria ended the campaign in style, defeating Sierra Leone by 165 runs in their final match at Gahanga B Oval, Kigali, to record their fourth victory in five matches.
The Junior YellowGreens posted an imposing 311 runs for nine wickets in 50 overs before bowling Sierra Leone out for 146 in 45.5 overs.
Keneth Boniface was the star performer for Nigeria, scoring an unbeaten century from 74 balls.
Boniface smashed 10 fours and three sixes at a strike rate of 135.14 to help Nigeria post the big total.
Captain Ali Rahmon also played an important role, scoring 74 runs from 88 balls, with six fours and two sixes.
Their partnership and contributions helped Nigeria recover strongly through the middle and final stages of the innings.
Peculiar Egemasi scored 33 runs, Hossana Omonkhobhio made 30, while Abdullahi Ismail contributed 19 runs.
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Needing 312 runs for victory, Sierra Leone struggled against Nigeria’s disciplined bowling attack.
Daniel Ayodele led the attack with three wickets for 22 runs in eight overs, including two maidens.
Pelumi Orimolade also took three wickets for 15 runs, while Ismail claimed two wickets for 28 runs.
Sahr Lebbie top-scored for Sierra Leone with 41 runs, while Ibrahim Bangura made 27 before the team was bowled out for 146.
The victory capped a consistent campaign for the Junior YellowGreens, who won four of their five matches to finish as runners-up.
Their performance showed their ability to win through disciplined bowling, controlled batting, aggressive stroke play and individual brilliance when needed.
The second-place finish also represents a significant step in the development of Nigeria’s next generation of cricketers, as the team successfully responded to the challenge of Division Two.
The reward is a return to Division One, where Nigeria will face stronger opposition and higher expectations.
Nigeria will share the Division One stage with Namibia, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda.
The young side will therefore have to improve further as the level of competition increases and the margins between victory and defeat become smaller.
However, the Junior YellowGreens will go into Division One with confidence after winning four of five matches and finishing runners-up in Rwanda.
From the opening match of the competition to Boniface’s unbeaten century in the final game, Nigeria’s campaign was marked by growth, resilience and determination.
The Junior YellowGreens came to Rwanda seeking promotion and have achieved their target.
Nigeria are now back in Division One, with a new challenge awaiting the young cricketers. (NAN
re the team mounts a strong and impactful campaign at the tournament.
NAN
