Cricket World Cup: Nigeria begins campaign against Australia

Nigeria will on Monday file out for her first-ever Cricket World Cup match as they take on Australia at the Diamond Oval in Kimberley, South Africa at the ongoing Under 19 Cricket World Cup

Monday’s match has odds in favour of the Aussies, despite their opening loss to West Indies, but the President of the Nigeria Cricket Federation, Yahaya Ukwenya, said in a pre-match interview that the match is not decided until the last over.

“I am looking forward to the Nigerian team to play a good game and compete at their best and hope that we come out with a positive result,” he said.

Unbeaten run

The Nigeria Under 19 team, otherwise referred to as the Junior Yellow Green, has gone ten matches unbeaten in all competitive matches since 2018; which culminated in their picking the sole ticket at the African Division One International Cricket Council’s Under 19 World Cup Qualifiers in Namibia in March 2019.

According to Mr Ukenwya, the team has been preparing for the event since the qualification.

“We must understand the context here, we are playing at the World Cup for the first time and we are playing our first game against a team that is arguably the best in the world in Cricket, given the number of World Cup they have won at different levels of the game….

“For Nigeria, being at the World Cup is a victory already for us. Every shot played and missed will go down for us as a victory, but I am looking forward to a great game” he added.

The Australian team had suffered a shock defeat from West Indies’ side in their opening match on Saturday by three wickets to lay down a marker at the Diamond Oval in Kimberley.

Nyeem Young was the match-winner for the Windies with a priceless 61 from 69 balls just as Australia was bearing down on his side’s tail.