TheCable

Nigeria’s Under-19 cricket team has proved bookmakers wrong by defeating host Namibia with 77 runs in the opening game of the Africa Division 1 ICC U19 Cricket World Cup qualifiers played at the Wanderers Cricket Stadium in Windhoek, Namibia, on Sunday.

Nigeria won the toss and elected to bat in the encounter.

Coach of the team, Uthe Ogbimi, said that the victory was pivotal to their campaign in the World Cup qualifier and would further boost the players’ confidence in the coming encounters as the game progresses.

“A lot of things are coming together for the team and all the time we spent together in camp is becoming very useful,” he said.

After the 1st Innings, Nigeria scored a total of 129 Runs for the loss of 8 wickets after 50 overs with Samuel Mba scoring 25 runs off 90 balls, Miracle Ikaige’s 22 runs off 48 balls (not out) and Emmanuel Boniface’s 19 runs off 31 balls.

In the 2nd Innings, Namibia were bowled out by the Nigerians after scoring a paltry 77 runs as the Nigerian captain Sylvester Okpe stole the show by winning man of the match Aaward and  smashing a bowling statistics of 3 for 16 in 7 overs while Emmanuel Boniface also contributed with a figure of 2 for 1 in 2.1 overs.

The Nigerian team’s final camping was in Zimbabwe where they had a five match tour with the national team before heading for the weeklong qualifier which rounds off on March 23.

Other teams on the qualifier include Kenya, Tanzania, Sierra Leone and Uganda.

Nigeria’s next match is on Tuesday against Kenya at Trustco United Cricket Pitch in Windhoek.