By Desmond Tunde Coker
Sierra Leone’s captain Lansana Lamin won the toss and elected to bowl first in their match against Saint Helena during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Africa Sub-Regional Qualifier C. The match, played in Lagos, Nigeria, is a key encounter in the ongoing tournament that serves as a pathway to the 2026 T20 World Cup to be held in India and Sri Lanka.
Saint Helena entered the game winless, ranked fifth in the six-team standings, just ahead of Ivory Coast on net run rate. Sierra Leone, coming off a commanding 168-run victory against Ivory Coast, holds third place in the table with two points. Nigeria and Botswana remain unbeaten at the top.
Playing XIs:
Saint Helena:
Scott Crowie, Andrew Yon, David Young (wk), Delroy Leo, Aiden Leo, Joey Thomas, Cliff Richards (c), Dane Leo, Brett Isaac, Brendan Leo, Barry Stroud.
Sierra Leone:
Aruna Kainessie, Alusine Turay, Yegbeh Jalloh, Raymond Coker, George Ngegba, John Bangura (wk), Abass Gbla, Lansana Lamin (c), Chernoh Bah, George Sesay, Samuel Conteh.
Tournament Highlights:
The qualifier has seen some one-sided games, including Nigeria’s monumental 272-run victory over Ivory Coast, where the latter was bowled out for just seven runs. Sierra Leone’s strong performance against Ivory Coast earlier in the tournament underscores their ambition to secure a spot in the global stage finals.
Saint Helena aims to break their losing streak in what promises to be a pivotal match for both teams.
Stay tuned for more updates on the match as Sierra Leone aims to strengthen their position in the race to the 2026 T20 World Cup.
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