By: Mohamed Abu Conteh
The Cameroonians will never forget Captain Fatmata Parkinson’s strokes that uncovered their tamed antics, bringing Sierra Leone to a decent 9-wicket win for a third-place decider played at the Tawafa Balewa Square during the closing of the 2023 edition of the Nigeria Women’s T20 International Tournament in Lagos on Sunday.
From the opener on Monday 27th March 2023 to the closing on Sunday, April 2, 2023, it took the Ladies Patriots three decisive wins out of five competitive ones to grab the third-place Trophy.
On the morning of Sunday, under the pressure to win by every strength, the Ladies won the toss and lived by the game plan to bowl first.
There on the pitch, Janet Kowa and Hassantu Sawaneh opened the bowling with impressive deliveries. Janet bowled 4 overs, had one maiden, and took 3 wickets.
Hassantu Sawaneh followed the rhythm with one wicket in 3 overs.
Batting, the Cameroonians posted 84 runs all out in 17 overs, setting a toyish target of 85.
Opening batswoman Madaleine Sussako scored no runs off 2 balls, followed by Bernadette Mbida who pulled 33 runs off 36 balls with a strike rate of 91.67.
To reply to the 85-run target, Kenneth Masinga brought in Captain Fatmata Parkinson and Emma Kamara for the new balls. The duo pushed for a deadly 52-run partnership. This resulted in the only opening pair to create such a collaboration for the said score in the entire Nigeria Women’s T20 International Tournament 2023.
Like a sniper who knew no smiles, Emma Kamara aggressively batted for 22 off 28 balls, delivering one 4 with a strike rate of 78.57.
Captain Fatmata Parkinson guarded the gains with her life; she received 45 balls and scored impressive 30 runs at a strike rate of 66.67 not out.
Emma out, the Tournament only sixer Celina Bull came in for 14 runs off 14 balls, hitting 100sr not out.
Conceding 16 extras, the Ladies Patriots achieved the 85-run target in the 13th over for the loss of one.
Janet Kowa, for the second time in a row, won the Woman of the Match award, taking 3 wickets and having 1 maiden.
With the sacrifices of 14 players and one coach including the support from the Sierra Leone Cricket Association, Sierra Leone won third place at the Nigeria Women’s T20 International Tournament 2023.
This is a history for a 12-year-old team in transition.
SLCA Media Department
