Nigeria’s cricket team, the Yellow Greens, bowed out of the ICC T-20 World Cup qualifiers taking place in the United Arab Emirates with lots of positives, despite their inability to win a game at the tournament.
Nigeria is not only the least ranked team but also featured the youngest squad in Dubai.
Over 40% of players on the Yellow Greens’ roster are 20-year-old and below with more than 50% of the entire squad making their T-20 debut.
19 year old, Suliemon Runsewe, who opened batting along with Daniel Ajeku for the Obruthe Ogbimi side in their last Group B match against Hong Kong this Sunday, is no doubt a player for the future.
The right handed bats man, who helped Nigeria qualify for the U19 T-20 World Cup, has shown the courage and potentials of a great cricketer.
With 17 runs, Suliemon was Nigeria’s second highest scorer against Hong Kong as the Yellow Greens posted 81 runs for the loss of 8 wickets in 20 overs after winning the toss and electing to bat first.
In the second innings, Hong Kong needed only the 7th over to get the job done loosing five wickets in the process.
Daniel Ajekun, Chima Akachukwu, Isaac Okpe, and Sylvester Okpe all took 1 wicket each as Hong Kong won the encounter by five wickets.
The Yellow Greens will return back home on Monday, October 28, as attention now shifts to ensuring that the junior team is well prepared for the U-19 T-20 World Cup in South Africa from January 17 to February 9.
