Nigeria and Malawi will lock horns in match no. 26 of the ongoing 10th edition of the Kwibuka Twenty20 (T20) Tournament on the 7th of June 2024. The game will be played at Gahanga International Cricket Stadium (B), Kigali, and live action commences at 1:15 PM Indian Standard Time (IST).
Squads:
Nigeria – Favour Eseigbe (C), Abigail Igbobie (VC, WK), Shola Adekunle, Lucky Piety, Sarah Etim (WK), Peculiar Agboya, Victory Igbinedion, Christabel Chukwuonye, Annointed Akhigbe, Salome Sunday, Lillian Udeh, Usen Peace, Rachael Samson, Esther Sandy
Malawi – Vanessa Phiri (C), Sugeni Kananji, Sophina Chinawa, Tricia Chabila, Ketrina Chingaipe, Nellie Gamaliyele, Praise Maziya, Tadala Mpandakwaya, Mercy Kudimba (WK), Lucy Malino, Triphonia Luka, Allinafe Alfonso, Lidia Dimba
Players to watch out:
Annointed Akhigbe
The 16-year-old all-rounder has added 58 runs to the tally from 4 T20Is and also picked up a wicket, maintaining an economy rate of 4.00. Annointed debuted in the season opener of this competition, remaining unbeaten on 11*, and has consistently managed starts, registering scores of 10, 13, 24, and 2. She’ll be backed to capitalize on this string of starts, notching up a big score.
Lillian Udeh
The 17-year-old pacer, averaging 10.47 and maintaining an economy rate of 4.52, has scalped 40 wickets from 27 T20I innings and can also be handy with the bat on a few occasions. With back-to-back 4-fers (4/15 and 4/7), Lillian kicked off this campaign on a high, and following a wicketless outing, she has returned figures of 3/2, 6/7, and 1/23. She’ll be counted on for breakthroughs.
Sophina Chinawa
The 18-year-old opening batter has accumulated 115 runs from 8 T20Is, with the highest score of 33*. Sophina hasn’t scored many runs in this competition but has managed notable starts time and again. Her scores from this campaign read 6, 15, 3, 33*, and 6, and it is hoped she converts her starts into substantial scores and finds consistency, leading the scoring for her side.
Lucy Malino
The 17-year-old left-arm off-spinner has picked up 7 wickets from 8 T20Is, including a best of 3/17, at an economy rate of 5.17. In her first outing in this competition, Lucy returned figures of 2/29, and her subsequent returns read 0/13, 3/17, and 0/22. In her previous couple of outings, she produced figures of 1/15 and 1/23. Continuing with this momentum, she’ll be relied upon for wickets.
Pitch:
The 22 yards at the Gahanga International Cricket Stadium (B) pose a challenge for batters with its pace-friendly nature, and the average score of 98 runs reflects the difficulty of scoring freely. Batters will need to demonstrate adaptability to excel on this wicket.
Weather:
With light winds, humidity at 45%, and the temperature forecasted to hover around 25°C, the conditions are pleasant for a game of cricket. The overhead is expected to be partly cloudy, but the chances of rain remain minimal.
Fantasy playing XI:
Sarah Etim, Lucky Piety, Salome Sunday, Shola Adekunle, Lidia Dimba, Peculiar Agboya, Ketrina Chingaipe, Lillian Udeh, Vanessa Phiri, Lucy Malino, Annointed Akhigbe
Match details:
Date – June 7, 2024
Time – 1:15 PM IST
Venue – Gahanga International Cricket Stadium (B), Kigali
Broadcast – The game will be live-streamed on the FanCode app and website.