Nigeria Beat Zambia by 9 Wickets — Isaac Danladi's Nine Sixes Answer Ismail Kara's 82

There was a symmetry to Ismail Kara's day that only a cricket scorecard could arrange. The day before he had bowled Uganda's Olipa Gerald for 82 from 42 balls with seven sixes; here, having chosen to bat, Zambia watched Kara make 82 from 44 balls with seven sixes of his own. He opened with Vasmiakram Chand, who was bowled by Abdullahi Ismail in the second over, and was the fifth man out, caught by Kenneth Boniface off Abdullahi Ismail at 122 in the 16th. Jakir Patel's 21 was the next-best score. The last 29 balls brought 20 runs and four wickets, and Zambia finished on 142 for 9.

Nigeria's openers did the rest almost on their own. Selim Salau, 105 not out against Gambia, made 50 from 39 before he was run out at 125 in the 14th over; Isaac Danladi, 86 against Gambia, hit nine sixes and three fours in 90 not out from 47. Nigeria won by 9 wickets, reaching 146 for 1 in 14.5 overs.

Two matches, two opening stands: 197 against Gambia and 125 here. Danladi's 90 not out was built on the six-hit: 54 of his runs came from nine of them, against three fours. Salau played the supporting part this time, 50 from 39, and the only wicket Nigeria lost in the chase was a run out. Across two games Nigeria have now lost two wickets with the bat; Danladi has 176 runs and Salau 155.

The bowling was quietly excellent. Abdullahi Ismail took three for nine in four overs, bowling Chand in the second over and then removing Kara and Robert Lungu, and held a catch off Isaac Okpe as well. Okpe took two wickets in the 20th over, Ayaz Dadabhai and Joshep Zulu, and Kenneth Boniface's 1.2 overs cost a single run and brought the stumping of Zakir Husain Patel.

Kara's innings deserved more than it got. Zambia were 27 for 2 when Joyeb Chand was caught off Chima Akachukwu in the fifth over, and he and Jakir Patel took it to 69 before Patel fell in the ninth. Of the 142, Kara made 82; the other ten batters made 47 between them, and 13 were extras. Shadreck Malama's four from 12 and Ayaz Dadabhai's six from 13 showed how hard the others found scoring.

With the ball, Zambia used eight bowlers and none of them took a wicket. Javid Patel's 3.5 overs went for 35, and Nigeria scored at nearly ten an over. Two games in, Zambia have lost by 87 runs and by nine wickets, and on this evidence their search is for a second batter to stand with Kara and Chand.

At 122 for 4 after 15 overs, with Kara on 82, Zambia had a platform for 160 or more. Abdullahi Ismail had him caught by Boniface with the first ball of the 16th, and the remaining 29 balls produced 20 runs. Against openers who had made 197 together the day before, 142 was always going to be a small target. Kara's 82 will sit in the scorecards next to Gerald's, identical in runs and in sixes; only one of them ended in a win.

This match didn't have a CricIntel preview — we'll have full analysis for the next encounter.

Nigeria and Uganda are the two unbeaten sides after two days, two wins each; Lesotho and Mozambique have one win, and Zambia and Gambia none. The round robin runs until October 25. Nigeria still play Uganda, Lesotho and Mozambique, and Zambia still play Lesotho, Mozambique and Gambia.