The Nigeria’s Under 19 Cricket team presently taking part the Cricket World Cup in South Africa came out yesterday at the Country Club Oval Kimberley, for light practice ahead of their second group game against the West Indies on Thursday.
They had lost on Monday by 10 wickets to former champion Australia.
Nigeria’s captain, SYLVESTER OKPE maintained that the team’s loss in their opening game is now behind them and they have to approach their next game with all the vigour required.
“This is the World Cup; we have moved on and set our sight on the next assignment. We appreciate the huge level of support we are getting from Nigerian here in South Africa and the feelers we are getting back from home.
“We had a two-hour strategy session today (yesterday), addressing all takeaways from the opening match and I believe we rose from the session stronger as a team and focused on the task ahead” he said.
The Junior Yellow Green suffered their first defeat in two years in a competitive event with their huge loss to Australia and are hoping to make a recovery with their second match with the West Indies who are presently group leaders having won two other games at the event. They defeated Australia by 5 wickets and shoved aside England and are hoping to pick a win against Nigeria to seal their place in the Super League at the tournament.
Technical Director of the Federation, ENESI DAHIRU has said that irrespective of what the outcome is at the World Cup, the players have already stepped Nigeria into the big league of Cricket by qualifying her for the World Cup for the first time in 105 years that the game has been played in the country.
