April 10, 2017 By Sahr Morris Jnr
Left..Sierra Leone Cpt. Lansana Lamin before the Ghana Match
Nigeria national cricket team will engage their Sierra Leonean opponent today Monday April 10 in the ongoing ICC World Cricket league Africa region qualifiers Division I at the Willowmoore Park C, Benoni, South Africa.
Monday’s clash is the third game for both nations in the tournament and The Patriot of Sierra Leone are seen as the favourites for this encounter.
During the 2001 West African Championship, Sierra Leone defeated Nigeria emphatically with a 9-wicket victory. The Nigerians played badly in that match setting a miserly target of 125 runs which Sierra Leone easily accomplished for the loss of only a wicket of Sao Kanyako.
In 2008, Nigeria narrowly beat a hard fighting Sierra Leone team at the finals of the 2nd North/West Africa Cricket Championship in Lagos. The then youthful Nigerian lads saw Sierra Leone batted first to score 142 runs all out but the Nigeria replied with a hard fought to secure 143 runs for nine wickets.
Meanwhile, at the ongoing ICC World Cricket league Africa region qualifiers Division I, both Nigeria and Sierra Leone suffered defeat in their opening matches on Friday.
Nigeria went down to Tanzania by 148 runs after securing 231 runs all out in 49.4 overs. Nigeria replied and were limited to 83 runs in 34.4 overs all out. Tanzania Jitin Singh was awarded player of the match.
Like their Nigeria opponent, Sierra Leone also suffered a huge margin defeat to another West African opponent and the tournament favourite, Ghana. The Patriot of Sierra Leone won the toss and elected to field which the Ghanaians secured a massive 179 runs in 42.5 overs all out. DNA Ankrah was the Ghanaian top scorer with 43 runs not out and he went on to scoop the man of the match award.
Sierra Leone were limited by the Stars of Ghana for 66 runs in 32.5 overs all out. Julius Brewah was Sierra Leone top scorer with 14 runs followed by Emmanuel Kamara with 12 runs. Ghana won by 113 runs.