Nairobi — Vincent Adewoye emerged as the hero for Nigeria, guiding his team to a historic 3-wicket victory over Kenya in the third match of the Kenya-Nigeria Bilateral Series on Monday at the Nairobi Sikh Union Club.
Adewoye's all-round brilliance proved pivotal as he first scalped 2 wickets for just 12 runs and then showcased his batting prowess with an unbeaten 41 runs.
His contributions were instrumental in Nigeria achieving their maiden victory over Kenya, stunning the home side under the leadership of former coach and captain Steve Tikolo.
This victory marks the third instance where Tikolo has steered a team to its first win against his homeland.
Previously, in 2016, while coaching Uganda, Tikolo orchestrated a dramatic two-wicket triumph over Kenya in a quadrangular tournament.
Five years later, Tikolo was on the opposite side when Tanzania, under his guidance, defeated Kenya for the first time during the 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup Africa Qualifiers Regional Final in Rwanda.
Adewoye's exceptional bowling, complemented by Isaac Okpe's 2 for 19, restricted Kenya to 149 for 7.
In response, Nigeria showcased improved batting performance during the powerplay, reaching 50 for 2, setting the stage for their successful chase.
Captain Sylvester Okpe highlighted the significance of their solid start, praising the contributions of Sulaimon Runsewe (21), Selim Salau (19), and Elijah Olaleye (30).
Speaking after the match, Captain Okpe acknowledged the team's resolve in executing their plans, emphasizing their disciplined approach in the closing stages of the game.
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"We wanted to get more runs with wickets in hand in the powerplay and that's actually what happened as Sulaimon Runsewe (21), Selim Salau (19) and Elijah Olaleye (30) played well and to the laid-up plan. We knew that Kenya would come hard after that but we kept it cool and kept on rotating the strike to the end," Okpe said.
Adewoye's partnership with Olaleye, which yielded 54 runs for the fifth wicket, was crucial in steering Nigeria to 128 after 17 overs with five wickets in hand.
Despite a brief scare when Nigeria found themselves at 137 for 7, Adewoye's aggressive batting in the 15th over against Vraj Patel tilted the match decisively in Nigeria's favor.
Kenya, after a promising start led by the top order faltered in the face of Adewoye's pivotal wickets, losing momentum towards the end of their innings.
The series continues with the fourth T20 match scheduled for tomorrow at the same venue.
