Ghana’s Senior national men’s cricket team has lost for the 3rd straight time to Nigeria in the West Africa Trophy T20 tournament, happening at the Tafawa Balewa Square Cricket Oval in Lagos.
Ghana, having lost by 82 runs to Nigeria yesterday for the second time in the 4-nationa tournament, lost by 5 wickets this morning (October 11, 2023).
The yellow greens won toss and for the first time in the tournament, Ghana bat first and scored 109/9.
Ghana’s regular openers James Vifah 11 (13) and captain Samson Awiah 17(19) were thrown in but they could not produce as much as was expected before Vifah fell via lbw on the 2.3 over. Vice Obed Harvey 23(27) was then called upon and just when he was warming up into the game, a delivery from Sylvester Okpe saw the finger of the umpire up for a lbw on the 10.5 over, as Ghana stood at 72/3.
Ghana had things under control, as they kept Nigeria below their score per over as the game progresses, but with limited wickets taken. By the 13th over, Nigeria were on 63/2, requiring 47 runs from 42 balls. 3 more wickets fell from the deliveries of Michael Aboagye (4-0-33-2) and Godfred Bakiweyem (4-0-18-2) and by the 17th over, Nigeria needed 22 runs from 18 balls.
It took the final overs for Nigeria to release the tension on them, by scoring two consistent boundary 6 from Ademola Onikoyi *52(55), to make the game an impossible win for Ghana.
Nigeria then scored the required 110/5 in 18.1 overs with 11 balls remaining. Nigeria remains unbeaten so far, as they have won all 7 matches and top the table with 14 points and +2.5.
Later in the day, Rwanda beat Sierra Loene for the second time, by 5 wickets, after 77/10 in 19.4 and 78/5 in 15.2 overs results. Rwanda with a NRR advantage, 0.2 lie second on the table with 6 points, while Ghana follows with 6 points and -1.0 NRR. Sierra Leone, with just a win so far out of 7 matches, lie 4th with 2 points.
Ghana has two more matches before the finals or 3rd place pairings; against Rwanda on Thursday, October 12 at 10am and against Sierra Leone on Saturday, October 14, at 2pm. Ghana must win the rest of the two matches, so that they will play Nigeria again in the finals on Sunday, October 15, 2023
The 3 defeats to Nigeria bring back memories to April 2018, when Ghana defeated Nigeria 4 times to lift the both the ACA Africa Cup Qualifier trophy and the ICC World T20 Cup Qualifier A.
By: Davis Nii Attuquaye Clottey
