All-round Nigeria rout Japan

A solid all-round performance helped Nigeria beat Japan by a comfortable 90-run margin, at the Botswana Cricket Association Oval 2 in Gaborone.

Being asked to bat, Nigeria built their total around a number of cameos - six of the nine batsmen dismissed got into double figures. Opener Segun Olayinka, who top scored with 51, anchored the first half of the innings, while Olajide Bejide guided the lower-middle order through the latter part with 43. Raheel Kano was the pick of the Japan bowlers, picking up four top and middle order wickets. Japan were off to a promising start chasing 221, with openers Gavin Beath and Munir Ahmed putting on a 40-run stand. But once the pair departed, Nigeria struck at regular intervals to make sure Japan fell well short. The bowlers shared the wickets around in tight spells, with none of them going for more than 3.80 runs per over.

In a closely fought, low-scoring game, Germany beat Kuwait by 11 runs at the Botswana Cricket Association Oval 1.

Germany's openers Milan Fernando and Andre Leslie laid a solid platform after being asked to bat, scoring 84 in 20 overs. But a collapse followed, in which Germany were reduced to 138 for 7 - they lost 7 for 4 between the 32nd and 37th over, before an unbeaten 37 by No. 9 batsmen Shakeel Hassan added respectability to the total. Defending 189, Rana-Javed Iqbal, made the necessary early inroads, picking up the top three batsmen, before returning to complete a five-for in his miserly second-spell that ensured Kuwait fell short. In between, Sibtain Raza and Hisham Mirza kept Kuwait's hopes briefly alive with a 73-run stand. Iqbal was afforded quality support by spinners Kashif Haider and Farooq Ahmed, who picked up the remaining five wickets.

Hosts Botswana registered an impressive win over Norway, chasing down 273 with eight wickets and 3.2 overs to spare at the Lobatse Cricket Ground.

Norway chose to bat, and justified the decision, getting to a more-than-competitive 272 on the back of a solid 91 from opener Damien Shortis. Shortis' knock was complemented by hard-hitting cameos from the lower-middle order. Omar Ali, James Moses and Akrum Chand picked up two wickets each, but the latter two were carted for over six runs an over. Botswana were in hurry from the outset in the chase, and lost opener Noor Ahmad with the scoreboard reading 28 in the third over. Denzil Sequeira too went cheaply, but thereafter there was no joy for the bowlers as Faisal Rana and captain Chand played positive cricket to take their side home with ease. Rana finished with 158 not out off 143 balls, his team's winning runs aptly coming through a six.