ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup 2025: Nigeria end campaign with thrilling victory over Ireland

Sri Lanka signed off from the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup with an impressive 12-run victory over Australia.

Australia had already qualified for the semi-finals ahead of Sri Lanka but were unable to carry their unbeaten record into the last four.

Chamudi Praboda led an impressive bowling attack that took regular wickets and refused to allow Australia to build any momentum in their chase of 100.

With Australia requiring 20 from the final over, Sri Lanka held their nerve to seal a memorable victory.

Sri Lanka were also limited with the bat by a strong performance from Australia with the ball, as Lily Bassingthwaighte finished with figures of three for seven, but it proved too much to chase in Bangi.

Australia now face South Africa for a place in the final on 31 January, before India take on England later on the same day.

Wickets stem Sri Lanka with the bat

Sri Lanka began steadily after opting to bat, with openers Sanjana Kavindi and Sumudu Nisansala sharing a partnership of 42 through the powerplay until Nisansala was caught in the deep off Tegan Williamson for 18.

Kavindi then fell to Lily Bassingthwaighte for 19 and Manudi Nanayakkara was caught off Hasrat Gill to depart for 15, leaving Sri Lanka 77 for three.

Williamson struck again as Dahami Sanethma was stumped by Grace Lyons to depart for zero, with the Australian bowling attack refusing to let Sri Lanka accelerate with the bat.

A consistent fall of wickets was key to that, with Bassingthwaighte getting Rashmika Sewwandi caught behind for four and Gill dismissing Hiruni Hansika for 13.

Bassingthwaighte then had Shashini Gimhani caught for two before Pramudi Methsara was run out in the same over to leave Sri Lanka 91 for eight.

Limansa Thilakarathna and Aseni Thalagune dug in at the death for some crucial runs to set Australia 100 to win.

Spinners shine in memorable win

Australia made a stuttering start in response, with Chamudi Praboda dismissing Kate Pelle for one in the second over.

Ines McKeon was then dropped on three in the next over, but fell for 10 soon after when she was caught off Praboda for her second wicket.

Captain Lucy Hamilton also went for 10 the following over when she was stumped off Pramudi Methsara, to leave Australia 23 for three.

Caoimhe Bray and Eleanor Larosa rebuilt and put on a partnership of 41 until Bray was caught in the deep on 27 off Limansa Thilakarathna.

Ella Briscoe was then run out for four after a mix up with Larosa, before the latter was out for 18 in the next over after clubbing an outside edge to Thilakarathna off Aseni Thalagune. Methsara then dismissed Hasrat Gill for two as Sri Lanka edged towards victory.

Australia required 20 from the final over, but Thalagune produced an excellent final over to offer no boundaries and take the wicket of Chloe Ainsworth with the final ball to cap the win with a flourish.

Nigeria end tournament with victory

Lilian Ude posted impressive figures of three for 11 with the ball to consistently stymie Ireland’s chase of 95, after Christabel Chukwuonye led a steady innings with the bat for Nigeria in the ICC U19 Women's T20 World Cup 2025.

Ude also contributed a quickfire 12 with the bat at the death alongside 17 runs each from Peculiar Agboya and Omosigho Eguakun, and that proved crucial in taking the game away from Ireland.

Opener Rebecca Lowe led the response with 21 for Ireland, but the steady fall of wickets ultimately proved key in earning victory for Nigeria in Bangi.

It was Nigeria’s second victory of the tournament, after they also beat New Zealand by two runs at their first-ever ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup, to seal third place in Super Six Group 2.

Chukwuonye anchors Nigerian innings

Ireland began brightly with the ball after putting Nigeria in to bat, finding a breakthrough in the opening over as Victory Igbinedion was run out by Abbi Harrison without scoring. Muhibat Amusa followed the next over for five after she was bowled by Kia McCartney to leave her side six for two.

Opener Christabel Chukwuonye then settled her side’s innings, finding her first boundary of the match off Jennifer Jackson. She was a steady presence despite wickets continuing to regularly fall, with Freya Sargent dismissing captain, Piety Lucky for four before Lara McBride claimed the wicket of Adeshola Adekunle.

That put Nigeria at 21 for four but Chukwuonye responded with two boundaries off McBride, and formed a strong partnership with Omosigho Eguakun until Chukwuonye fell in the 14^th over for 25, caught off McCartney.

Eguakun and Peculiar Agboya then combined for useful contributions of 17 each before Ellie McGee bowled Eguakun, and Lillian Ude added 12 at the death to set Ireland 95 for victory.

Steady wickets stem Ireland chase

Nigeria also struck early with the ball, with Usen Peace bowling opener Alice Walsh for zero with the fourth ball of the innings.

Freya Sargent and Rebecca Lowe steadied the ship after that early blow, forming a partnership of 30 until Lilian Ude had Sargent caught behind for 14 in the final ball of the powerplay. Lilian struck again to dismiss Annabel Squires for one, with Muhibat Amusa taking an impressive catch at backward square leg.

Nigeria continued to take regular wickets to increase the pressure on the Ireland chase, with Lara McBride caught for zero off Adeshola Adekunle and Anointed Akhigbe striking to take the wicket of Abbi Harrison for two. Akhigbe then earned the vital wicket of Lowe for 21 in the same over as Ireland slipped to 54 for six.

Ireland dug in through Niamh MacNulty and Millie Spence, but the pair then fell quickly with MacNulty trapped leg before by Peace and Spence bowled by Lilian.

Kia McCartney and Ellie McGee looked to creep Ireland towards their total with 21 runs still required, and produced some steady singles until McGee departed for one, out leg before to Piety Lucky.

McCartney continued to fight and found a key boundary through mid-wicket but was eventually bowled by Amusa as Nigeria sealed a six-run victory.

Scores in brief

Nigeria v Ireland – UKM-YSD Cricket Oval, Bangi

Nigeria 94 for seven in 20 overs (Christabel Chukwuonye 25, Peculiar Agboya 17; Kia McCartney 2/13, Niamh MacNulty 1/12)

Ireland 88 all out in 18.4 overs (Rebecca Lowe 21, Millie Spence 14; Lilian Ude 3/11, Anointed 2/8)

Result: Nigeria win by six runs.

Australia v Sri Lanka – UKM-YSD Cricket Oval, Bangi

Sri Lanka 99 for eight in 20 overs (Sanjana Kavindi 19, Sumudu Nisansala 18; Lily Bassingthwaighte 3/7, Hasrat Gill 2/18)

Australia 87 for eight in 20 overs (Caoimhe Bray 27, Eleanor Larosa 18; Chamudi Praboda 2/13, Pramudi Methsara 2/16)

Result: Sri Lanka win by 12 runs.