It was an unfortunate loss to Sierra Leone in the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Sub Regional Africa B Qualifiers in Rwanda Kigali by Ghana, on Monday, December 5, 2022.
It was Ghana’s 3rd loss in a row, after losing to Mozambique and Tanzania on Friday, December 2 and Sunday, December 4, respectively.
Ghana, having improved by runs against Sierra Leone in today’s match at the IPRC Oval, lost the game via Duck Lewis (DL) Method after rains started in Kigali while Sierra Leone had scored 61/1 in 7.2 overs.
Sierra Leone who won toss and elected to field first, seeing Ghana score 135/7 won the game by 18 Runs.
Ghana’s runs began a bit slow into the innings, as Amoluk Sembi was sacrificed on the 0.4 over. However, James Kwaku Vifah *63(53) with 2 fours and 4 sixes stood his grounds since he came on from the 0.5 over. Vifah, by that performance is among the top 5 batters at the tournament so far, ling 4th with 136 runs from 4 matches and an average of 45.33.
In the second innings, Ghana approximately gave away 7 runs in every over, which made it impossible to declare them winners by DL, in comparing both team runs.
Sierra Leone’s Abass Gbla, who nearly had a hat trick, having taken 2.0-0-9-4 was adjudged the Player of the Match.
Ghana has now been leapfrogged by Sierra Leone from the 4th spot they occupied earlier after 3 matches, as they lie 5th with 2 points and 3 more games to go.
Ghana enters into match 5 against Cameroon at the Integrated Polytechnic Regional Centre (PRC) at 1:45pm (11:45 GH Time) on Tuesday, December 6, 2022.
As it stands, there is no chance for Ghana to qualify to the next phase of the Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifiers, as Nigeria and Tanzania are in contention for the 2 slots available.
At this same stage in 2018, Ghana defeated all Teams that converged at Lagos in a double round robin to qualify to the next stage.
By: Davis Nii Attuquaye Clottey
