Nigeria’s U-19 women’s cricket team, known as the Junior Female Yellow Greens, celebrated a thrilling victory over 2023 semi-finalists New Zealand, marking a successful debut in the ICC U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup on Monday, according to The PUNCH. After their initial match against Samoa was rained out on Saturday, the Nigerian squad finally got their chance to compete in a 13-over match, with the reduced overs due to the wet pitch.
The Player of the Match, Lucky Piety, contributed 18 runs off 22 balls and delivered a stellar bowling performance, taking one wicket for just eight runs in three overs. Piety described the victory as a significant achievement. “This moment is truly special for us. There were numerous catches and plenty of running between the wickets that I couldn’t have done alone. The entire team played exceptionally, and it was a collective effort,” Piety shared through the ICC Media Zone.
“Our resources were limited, but we pulled off this win through teamwork. Our strategy in the Nigeria camp is to take it one game at a time, and we’ve secured this one, but there’s more to come,” she added.
Sarah Bakhita, the team’s head coach, also praised the tactical discipline shown by the players in their victory over the world’s fourth-ranked team.
“It feels amazing; we were always confident, and making it happen was monumental. The second innings was nerve-wracking, but our team has a strong bowling attack. We analyzed their strengths, and the girls executed our game plan perfectly,” said Bakhita, who is Kenyan, after the match.
“This is the first time that West Africa has been represented at a global cricket tournament, and we at the NSC are incredibly proud of these young women for this achievement, which has put Nigeria on the global cricket map,” Dikko wrote on X. “Best of luck to the team for the rest of the World Cup, and we’ll be supporting you all the way.”
Currently, Nigeria sits second in Group C with three points, just one point behind South Africa, who triumphed over Samoa by 10 wickets for their second victory of the tournament. Both teams are well-positioned to advance to the Super 6 stage, with a crucial match between them on Wednesday to determine who tops the group.
