Both Nigeria and the USA celebrated their inaugural victories in the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup, albeit in contrasting fashions.
The USA secured a convincing nine-wicket win over Ireland, while Nigeria’s victory against New Zealand came down to the final delivery.
For the American team, this first triumph followed four losses in the inaugural tournament held in 2023.
“It feels absolutely amazing,” remarked Disha Dhingra, who contributed 46 runs to the match. “We have worked really hard, so I am glad that all of our hard work has paid off.”
“Our last World Cup in South Africa was a significant learning opportunity; we were quite inexperienced in that environment,” Dhingra noted.
“We gained invaluable insights by competing against teams like Australia, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, especially in terms of their fielding techniques compared to ours.
“We drew many positives from our time in South Africa and brought that knowledge here, allowing us to improve.”
The USA restricted Ireland to a total of 75, with Isani Vaghela claiming three wickets, two of which were as caught and bowled.
Dhingra spearheaded the batting effort, amassing 46 runs off 33 balls, which included five fours and two sixes, marking the highest total achieved by a US player in an U19 Women’s World Cup.
She was dismissed just as the scores were level, enabling Vaghela to hit the winning four that sealed the historic victory.
Now, for Dhingra, the focus shifts to achieving further success.
“Of course, we aim for another win. There’s a saying: once you experience victory, the desire for more grows,” she stated.
“We are going into the next game with that aim, prepared to put up a strong fight.”
In Sarawak, Nigeria was making its World Cup debut after their opening game against Samoa was canceled due to rain.
Facing tough opposition in New Zealand, who reached the 2023 semi-finals but were coming off a loss to South Africa in their first match in Malaysia, Nigeria had significant challenges ahead.
Batting first in a reduced 13-over format, Nigeria lost wickets at regular intervals but made vital contributions from Piety Lucky (18) and Lilian Ude (19), which allowed them to post a total of 66 runs, giving them a fighting chance.
New Zealand matched Nigeria’s top scores and lost the same number of wickets in their innings. Three run outs highlighted their mounting pressure, and a decisive last over from Ude ensured Nigeria achieved their first-ever win.
Lucky expressed her joy, stating, “This is a very special moment for us. There were many catches and a lot of running between the wickets that I couldn’t have done alone.
“The entire Nigeria team is thrilled about this victory. New Zealand is a strong side, so we are incredibly excited about this achievement.
“Every team member put in their best effort, and it was truly a collective success.
“We have been training diligently for a long time. During our qualifiers, we had numerous aspects to improve on back home, focusing on our weaknesses as well as enhancing our strengths.
“With our available resources, we managed to secure this win, and it was all thanks to teamwork.
“Our team’s strategy is to take things one game at a time; we have accomplished one victory, and we aim for more.”
Image Source: Windies Cricket @ YouTube
