Sierra Leone’s U-19 Cricket team achieved a resounding victory over Nigeria’s Junior Yellow-Greens in the ongoing ICC men’s U-19 Cricket World Cup Africa Qualifiers. The match, held at the University of Dar Es Salaam Cricket Ground on July 24, 2023, saw Sierra Leone dominate in every aspect of the game.
The Junior Patriots of Sierra Leone, who had previously struggled to secure a win against Nigeria, finally broke their winless streak. Led by Ibrahim Sesay, Raymond Coker, and Aliya, Sierra Leone’s bowlers performed exceptionally well, taking crucial wickets in their evenly distributed 21 overs. With well-executed plans, the Junior Patriots restricted the Yellow-Greens to a mere 73 runs all out in 27 overs.
Nigeria’s Paul Pam managed to score only 22 runs off 45 balls before falling victim to Selim Salua’s bowling, who took 2 wickets for just 7 runs, boasting an impressive net run rate of 42.86. In response, Sierra Leone’s Raymond Coker contributed 22 runs off 55 balls, while Alusine Turay played a crucial innings of 38 runs off 52 balls.
Raymond Coker’s outstanding performance earned him the Player of the Match award, sealing Sierra Leone’s victory. The team will now prepare to face Kenya on July 25, 2023, and will have a rest day on Wednesday before their clash with Namibia on Thursday.
