ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup 2025: Nigeria end campaign with thrilling victory over Ireland

January 29, 2025

in Cricket

Reading Time: 3 mins read

Lilian Ude posted spectacular figures of three for 11 with the ball to persistently stymie Eire’s chase of 95, after Christabel Chukwuonye led a gradual innings with the bat for Nigeria within the ICC U19 Girls’s T20 World Cup 2025.

Ude additionally contributed a quickfire 12 with the bat on the dying alongside 17 runs every from Peculiar Agboya and Omosigho Eguakun, and that proved essential in taking the sport away from Eire.

Opener Rebecca Lowe led the response with 21 for Eire, however the regular fall of wickets in the end proved key in incomes victory for Nigeria in Bangi.

It was Nigeria’s second victory of the event, after additionally they beat New Zealand by two runs at their first-ever ICC U19 Girls’s T20 World Cup, to seal third place in Tremendous Six Group 2.

Chukwuonye anchors Nigerian innings

Eire started brightly with the ball after placing Nigeria in to bat, discovering a breakthrough within the opening over as Victory Igbinedion was run out by Abbi Harrison with out scoring. Muhibat Amusa adopted the following over for 5 after she was bowled by Kia McCartney to depart her facet six for 2.

Opener Christabel Chukwuonye then settled her facet’s innings, discovering her first boundary of the match off Jennifer Jackson. She was a gradual presence regardless of wickets persevering with to repeatedly fall, with Freya Sargent dismissing captain, Piety Fortunate for 4 earlier than Lara McBride claimed the wicket of Adeshola Adekunle.

That put Nigeria at 21 for 4 however Chukwuonye responded with two boundaries off McBride, and shaped a powerful partnership with Omosigho Eguakun till Chukwuonye fell within the 14th over for 25, caught off McCartney.

Eguakun and Peculiar Agboya then mixed for helpful contributions of 17 every earlier than Ellie McGee bowled Eguakun, and Lillian Ude added 12 on the dying to set Eire 95 for victory.

Regular wickets stem Eire chase

Nigeria additionally struck early with the ball, with Usen Peace bowling opener Alice Walsh for zero with the fourth ball of the innings.

Freya Sargent and Rebecca Lowe steadied the ship after that early blow, forming a partnership of 30 till Lilian Ude had Sargent caught behind for 14 within the remaining ball of the powerplay. Lilian struck once more to dismiss Annabel Squires for one, with Muhibat Amusa taking a powerful catch at backward sq. leg.

Nigeria continued to take common wickets to extend the stress on the Eire chase, with Lara McBride caught for zero off Adeshola Adekunle and Anointed Akhigbe putting to take the wicket of Abbi Harrison for 2. Akhigbe then earned the important wicket of Lowe for 21 in the identical over as Eire slipped to 54 for six.

Eire dug in by way of Niamh MacNulty and Millie Spence, however the pair then fell rapidly with MacNulty trapped leg earlier than by Peace and Spence bowled by Lilian.

Kia McCartney and Ellie McGee appeared to creep Eire in the direction of their whole with 21 runs nonetheless required, and produced some regular singles till McGee departed for one, out leg earlier than to Piety Fortunate.

McCartney continued to battle and located a key boundary by way of mid-wicket however was finally bowled by Amusa as Nigeria sealed a six-run victory.