Defending champions Rwanda had to manage 90 runs for the loss of nine wickets, but Nigeria's strong fielding strategy ensured that they fell short by nine runs.
In an intense final match of the third Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) Women's T20i Invitational tournament, Nigeria emerged victorious, defeating arch-rival Rwanda by nine runs at the Tafawa Balewa Cricket Oval in Lagos on Sunday
As expected, Nigeria won the toss and chose to bat, leading to a hard-fought first inning with 99 runs on the board.
Salome Sunday (48 off 58 balls) and Piety Lucky (11 off 17 balls) led the charge with the bat, putting up top batting performances for the hosts as they raced through the inning for the loss of four wickets in 20 overs.
Rwanda came on to bat for the second innings, with Gisele Ishimwe (31 off 48 balls) and captain Diane Biemenyimana (15 off 19 balls) contributing to the score of the side.
However, Nigeria's Piety Lucky and Racheal Samson did the most damage to the East African team, claiming three wickets each.
Defending champions Rwanda had to manage 90 runs for the loss of nine wickets, but Nigeria's strong fielding strategy ensured that they fell short by nine runs.
Presidential delight
Meanwhile, President of the Nigeria Cricket Federation, Uyi Akpata, expressed his excitement over the team's victory, stating that it is a welcome development and a positive outcome of the Federation's investments into cricket development.
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"The effort being put in by passionate cricketers to support the board, the dedication of the players, the encouragement from the Honorable minister, and most of all, the sponsors that are keying into our vision. This is a win for all," said Akpata.
The NCF Women's T20i Invitational tournament is an annual event on the NCF calendar, and this year's edition featured Ghana, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, and host Nigeria.
Akpata mentioned that staging the event has done a lot for the growth of the game in the country, including helping the national team rise in the T20i global ranking from 38th to 29th over the past four years.
"We have better facilities now. We now have seven turf crickets from zero about four years ago," he added.
For many, Nigeria's victory over Rwanda is a testament to the team's hard work and dedication, as well as the Federation's investments in the growth of the sport.
