Nigeria’s senior women’s cricket team, the Female Yellow Greens, were crowned champions of the 2023 Nigeria Cricket Federation Women’s T20I tournament after a nine‑run victory over Rwanda in Lagos on Sunday. The Tafawa Balewa Square Cricket Oval was charged with tension as the top two sides met again in a repeat of last year’s final. Seeking revenge for their defeat in the previous final and to avoid another loss on match‑day five, Nigeria entered the game with a clear mission.
Captain Blessing Etim won the toss for Nigeria and chose to bat first. After a cautious start in the powerplay, Sunday Salome and Etim steadied the innings, guiding Nigeria to 99 runs for the loss of four wickets in their 20 overs, much to the delight of the spectators. In response, Rwanda began their chase strongly, but the Female Yellow Greens applied pressure, reducing the Rwandan score to 50 for two wickets after ten overs—half the target with ten overs remaining. Nigeria continued to dominate, taking seven more wickets and further restricting Rwanda’s run‑scoring. Ultimately, Rwanda were bowled out for 90 runs in 20 overs, handing Nigeria a nine‑run win.
Salome Sunday’s outstanding batting performance, which anchored Nigeria’s first‑innings total, earned her the Player of the Match award after scoring 48 runs. In the third‑place playoff, Sierra Leone defeated debutants Cameroon by nine wickets. Cameroon were all out for 84 runs in 17.2 overs, while the Ladies Patriots chased the target with 85 runs for the loss of one wicket in 13.2 overs.
Comments are closed for this story.