Nigeria beats Ireland, qualifies for 2027 championship

‘Third position not enough for semifinals’

Nigeria’s U-19 girls, yesterday, put up one of the best games in recent times when they defeated Republic of Ireland by six runs. But that win was just not enough to take them to semifinals of the ongoing ICC U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup holding in Malaysia.

However, the win fetched the Nigerian girls a ticket to the 2027 edition of the World Cup to be hosted by Bangladesh and Nepal.The win also put them as the third best team in the Super six group 2.

The tensed victory over Ireland completes Nigeria’s fairy tale outing at the maiden ICC Under 19 Women’s World Cup with Lilian Ude and Skipper Piety Lucky announcing their positions as two of the best emerging talents in world cricket.

Ude’s three wicket streak also won her the player of the match to set up the second victory over an ICC test nation after an earlier victory over New Zealand in the event.

In the game against Ireland at the YSD-UKM Cricket Oval, Bangi, Ireland won the toss and elected to field first, sending Nigeria’s batters out in the first innings.

The Nigerian girls got to their highest first-inning total in the tournament as a combined team batting effort took them to 94 runs in their quota of 20 overs for the loss of seven wickets.

The batters did not have a bright start as Ireland grabbed four quick wickets to send shivers down the Yellow Greens spines. But the pair of Christabel Chukwuonye and Peculiar Agboya’s partnership in the middle overs steadied the ship, with Agboya ending the innings on a sure footing.

With the target of 95 runs looking decent and realistic for a good chase, the Irish team got off to a rocky start, with early wickets falling to put them on the back foot. Despite a stabilising partnership between Freya Sargent and Rebecca Lowe, the Nigerian bowlers continued to pick up wickets at regular intervals, making it difficult for the Irish to gain momentum.

Ude was the standout bowler for Nigeria, playing a crucial role in restricting the Irish batting lineup. She picked up three wickets and was very economical. She was named player of the match after adding 11 runs to her superb bowling performance. Speaking after the game, Skipper Piety Lucky said it was a tough game, while commending her teammates for their superlative performance.