By Bockarie Allieu
The Sierra Leone U-19 Men’s Cricket National Team, known as the Junior Patriots, will return to Sierra Leone tomorrow from Tanzania, proudly bringing home the runner-up trophy and silver medals. The team reached the final of the ICC U-19 World Cup Qualifier tournament after defeating Nigeria by 9 wickets in the semi-finals.
In the final match against the host nation, Tanzania, Sierra Leone lost by 36 runs. Tanzania batted first, scoring 178 runs for the loss of 8 wickets in 50 overs. However, heavy rain after the first innings forced the umpires to revise the target and reduce the match to 29 overs, with a new target of 135 runs. Sierra Leone managed to score 98 runs for the loss of 8 wickets in the allotted 29 overs.
Despite the loss, the Junior Patriots secured the runner-up position and earned four “Man of the Match” awards, three of which were won by the team captain Raymond Coker and one by George Sesay.
The team is scheduled to depart Tanzania this morning and will arrive in Sierra Leone tomorrow evening. According to plans, the team may spend the night at Lungi before crossing to Freetown on the second ferry. A welcoming ceremony is planned at the Kissy Tagrin ferry terminal, where fans and cricket officials will greet them with a brass band playing the national anthem. The team will then proceed in a convoy through key streets of Freetown, culminating at the Kingtom Cricket Oval.
