Nigeria 146/1 (14.5 overs) beat Zambia 142/9 (20 overs) by nine wickets
NCF Oval 1, Abuja, Wednesday 21 October
Toss: Zambia, chose to bat
Player of the Match: Isaac Danladi (Nigeria)
HOSTS Nigeria made it two wins from two at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Sub-Regional Africa Qualifier C on Wednesday. Isaac Danladi scored 90 not out off 47 balls as they chased down Zambia’s 142/9 with 31 balls to spare. Zambia have now lost both their matches.
Abdullahi Ismail bowled Vasimakram Chand for 1 in the second over. Captain Chima Akachukwu then had Joyeb Chand caught by Selim Salau for 3, leaving Zambia on 27/2.
Ismail Kara scored 82 off 44 balls, with six fours and seven sixes. He shared a third-wicket stand of 42 with Jakir Patel, who made 21 off 16 before he was caught by Isaac Okpe off Sylvester Okpe at 69/3. Kenneth Boniface had Zakir Husain Patel stumped by wicketkeeper Ali Rahmon at 82/4.
Kara was caught by Boniface off Ismail at 122/5 in the 16th over. Zambia added 20 runs in the remaining five overs and lost four more wickets. Isaac Okpe removed Ayaz Dadabhai and Joseph Zulu in the final over.
Ismail finished with 3/9 from four overs, and Isaac Okpe took 2/25. Peter Aho, Akachukwu, Sylvester Okpe and Boniface took a wicket each. Boniface’s wicket cost one run from 1.2 overs.
Salau and Danladi put on 125 for the first wicket, their second century opening stand of the tournament after 197 against The Gambia on Tuesday. Salau scored 50 off 39 balls, with four fours and two sixes, before he was run out by Joyeb Chand and Zakir Husain Patel in the 14th over.
Danladi hit three fours and nine sixes. Rahmon (4 not out) was with him as Nigeria reached the target in the 15th over.
Zambia used eight bowlers, and none took a wicket.
Across two matches, Danladi has scored 176 runs and Salau 155.
Zimbabwe’s Iknow Chabi and Botswana’s Justine Muzungu were the on-field umpires. South Africa’s Stephen Harris was reserve umpire and his compatriot Shandre Fritz the match referee.
On Friday, Nigeria play Mozambique on NCF Oval 1, and Zambia face Lesotho on NCF Oval 2.
Nigeria and Uganda have won both their matches. Lesotho and Mozambique have one win each. The Gambia and Zambia have yet to win.
