Cricket WCQ: Nigeria’s U19 women team tops table after beating Zimbabwe

The Nigerian cricket U-19 women’s team campaigning for the sole World Cup slot in Kigali, Rwanda on Monday upset bookmakers’ favourite Zimbabwe in a hard-fought one-wicket victory.

Piety Lucky-led Nigerian teenagers had shoved Tanzania aside in their opening match on Sunday on the heroics of Lillian Ude who took out five wickets in three overs to claim the player of the match.

The Zimbabwean U-19 women, also opening with an impressive 144 runs victory against Malawi, had shored up their pedigree as the highest-ranked team and the only test-playing nation vying for the 2025 U-19 Women’s World Cup spot.

Zimbabwe won the toss in Monday’s game and elected to bat, leaving Nigeria to run rings around their batters with impressive bowling numbers.

First, it was Peace Usen who poached three wickets off four overs, with sixteen runs, setting the tone for a slow run of events for the Zimbabweans. Ude then stepped up to afflict the southern African nation further with a three-wicket haul to bring her tournament total to eight. But it was Anointed Akhigbe who sealed the first inning with another trifecta delivery that limited the score to 77/10 (in 19.4 overs).

Nigeria stepped up to chase the score with caution given the pedigree of their opponent. What seemed a fairy tale run was chased down by the Zimbabweans, as Nigerian batters hardly came to the party.

Only Omosigho Eguakun and Peculiar Agboya managed a double-digit score (15 and 13 runs respectively), and most batters froze under the experienced bowling prowess of the opponents. Christina Mutasa, Beloved Biza, and Runyararo Pasipanodga took two wickets each. Olinder Chare and Kelis Ndlovu took one each to leave the Nigeria women’s fairy tale inning in jeopardy of defeat with one run to go on the last ball. But Peace Usen’s solo run on the last ball sealed the victory for Nigeria at 78/9 (20 overs).

Nigeria’s win now puts her atop Group B with two wins, while Zimbabwe and Tanzanian, who had beaten Malawi earlier in the day, placed second and third with one win apiece. Malawi, Nigeria’s opponent on Wednesday, sits at the bottom of the table.

In Group A, Uganda and Rwanda have won their first two matches to occupy the top two spots with Uganda leading on net run rate. Namibia and Kenya are third and fourth after losing their opening two matches.

The top two teams from each group after the third match head for the semi-finals to continue the chase for the sole ticket to the U-19 Women’s World Cup, scheduled for Malaysia in 2025.