After almost two weeks of exhilarating cricket action in Lagos, the Middle-Belt Tigers were crowned champions of the inaugural Nigeria Super League after defeating Southern Sharks by six runs in a thrilling final on Sunday at the TBS Oval, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The championship clash brought the curtain down on an exciting maiden edition of the Nigeria Super League, with 20 matches played, showcasing elite talent, fierce competition and the continued growth of cricket in Nigeria.
Led by Yellow Greens wicketkeeper Sulaimon Runsewe, the Tigers won the toss and elected to bat, posting a competitive 104/5 in their allotted 10 overs.
Southern Sharks responded courageously and remained in contention throughout the chase. Isesele Odion Evangel led the effort with a determined 26 off 21 balls, while captain Isaac Okpe injected momentum with a quick-fire 15 off seven deliveries.
Kenneth Boniface and Durotoye Gideon also made valuable contributions as the Sharks pushed the contest deep into the final over. However, the Middle-Belt Tigers held their nerve under pressure to restrict Southern Sharks to 98/7 and secure a dramatic six-run victory.
Earlier in the day, Northern Lions secured third place with a commanding 32-run victory over Central Eagles in the playoff encounter.
At the end of the tournament, Solomon Chilemanya of Middle-Belt Tigers topped the batting leaderboard with 172 runs in eight innings, while his teammate Ndubudem Elochukwu was named the tournament’s best bowler after taking 14 wickets in eight innings.
Ridwan Kareem of Northern Lions emerged as the best fielder with six dismissals in eight innings, while the Outstanding Young Player award went to Ismail Abdullahi of Southern Sharks.
Despite losing the final, Yellow Greens stalwart Isaac Danladi of Southern Sharks was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player after recording 168 runs and 13 wickets in seven innings.
Aside from the cash prizes for individual awards, all six participating teams also benefited from the tournament’s prize pool of N13.25m.
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