Nigeria has potentially achieved one of the most remarkable upsets in cricket this year by defeating New Zealand in a group match during the Women's U19 World Cup on Monday. The match, which took place in Kuching, Malaysia, was shortened to 13 overs per side due to rain. Nigeria successfully defended a target of 66 runs, securing victory over New Zealand, whose senior team claimed the T20 World Cup title in October, by a narrow margin of two runs.

Key performances from captain Piety Lucky and Lilian Udeh enabled Nigeria to post a total of 65 runs for the loss of six wickets while batting first. New Zealand utilized six bowlers, with five of them each taking a wicket. The New Zealand innings began poorly, as Kate Irwin was run out on the very first ball. Her opening partner, Emma McLeod, was dismissed by pacer Usen Peace in the third over. Although the target was manageable, New Zealand struggled to find their rhythm and consistently lost wickets throughout their innings.

Nigeria hold their nerve in the last two overs

In that situation, they required only 17 runs to secure victory from the final two overs. Tash Wakelin's boundary on the last ball reduced the target to nine runs needed in the last over. However, Captain Piety once again took charge for her team. She bowled the final over, allowing just four runs from the first four deliveries, effectively sealing the win.

The fifth delivery was a dot ball, and Wakelin was subsequently run out while attempting to complete a third run on the last ball. Anika Todd and Wakelin were the leading run scorers for New Zealand, contributing 19 and 18 runs respectively, but their efforts fell short.

This year marks Nigeria's debut in the tournament, and this match was their first completed game, as their previous encounter was abandoned due to rain. Consequently, they remain unbeaten after two matches, which has opened up Group C significantly. They currently occupy the top position in the table with three points from two matches, while South Africa follows in second place with two points.

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