Sierra Leone registered a thrilling comeback victory over Rwanda in a West Africa Trophy match on October 10, 2023. George Ngegba scored a match-winning 75 runs to help Sierra Leone chase down Rwanda's total of 180 runs with three balls to spare.
Rwanda won the toss and elected to bat first, posting a formidable total of 180 runs for the loss of six wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Eric Dusingizimana top-scored with a scintillating 65 runs off just 44 balls.
Sierra Leone's bowlers struggled to contain the Rwandan batsmen, but they kept things tight in the death overs to restrict Rwanda to a below-par total.
Sierra Leone's chase got off to a disastrous start, losing their top four batsmen inside the first 10 overs. However, middle-order batsmen Abass Gbla and George Ngegba steadied the ship with a crucial 50-run partnership.
Gbla was eventually dismissed for 45, but Ngegba continued to bat aggressively, scoring a match-winning 75 runs off just 49 balls. He was ably supported by lower-order batsmen Aruna Kainessie and John Bangura, who both chipped in with valuable runs.
Sierra Leone eventually reached the target of 181 runs with just three balls to spare, sending their fans into a frenzy.
The victory was a major boost for Sierra Leone, who had lost their first two matches of the tournament against Ghana and Nigeria respectively.
Sierra Leone's captain, George Edward Ngegba, was ecstatic after the match. "This is a huge victory for us," he said. "We had a poor start to the tournament, but we have shown great character to come back and win this match. Rwanda is a very good team, so we are very proud of our achievement."
The victory has given Sierra Leone a glimmer of hope in the tournament. They will need to win their remaining matches and hope that other results go their way. However, the team has shown that they are capable of beating any team on their day, and they will be looking to carry their winning momentum into the rest of the tournament.
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