Nigeria's Junior YellowGreens have made a big comeback to Division One of African youth cricket. They finished their ICC U19 Men's Cricket World Cup Africa Qualifier Division Two campaign with a 165-run win over Sierra Leone, ending second on the table, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The Junior YellowGreens won four out of five matches in the tournament held in Kigali, Rwanda. They capped off their campaign with a strong performance that showed they are ready for the higher level of competition.
In their last match at the Gahanga B Oval, Nigeria scored an impressive 311 for nine in their 50 overs. They bowled out Sierra Leone for 146 runs in 45.5 overs, sealing the 165-run win.
Keneth Boniface stood out with his batting, scoring an unbeaten century off 74 balls. He hit 10 fours and three sixes at a strike rate of 135.14, giving Nigeria a solid total.
Captain Ali Rahmon also contributed significantly. He scored 74 runs off 88 balls, hitting six fours and two sixes. Peculiar Egemasi made 33 runs, while Hossana Omonkhobhio added 30 runs and Abdullahi Ismail scored 19 runs to help Nigeria reach their big total.
Sierra Leone needed 312 runs to win but struggled against Nigeria's bowlers. Daniel Ayodele led the bowling attack with three wickets for 22 runs in his eight overs, which included two maidens. Pelumi Orimolade also took three wickets for just 15 runs. Abdullahi Ismail picked up two wickets for 28 runs as Sierra Leone was all out for 146. Sahr Lebbie was the top scorer for Sierra Leone with 41 runs, and Ibrahim Bangura added 27 runs.
Throughout their five matches in Rwanda, Nigeria showed they could win through strong bowling, smart batting, and individual excellence. This mix helped them finish as runners-up and gain promotion back to Division One.
The Junior YellowGreens will now compete in Division One alongside Namibia, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda. This new challenge is something the young team will face with confidence after their impressive performance in the qualifiers.
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