Nigeria batsman stops batting; rushes to pavilion to answer the nature's call

The razmataz of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier 2019 is in full swing with top 14 associate teams vying to book their ticket for the marquee quadrennial event set to be held Down Under in October 2020. Nigeria – One of the teams that got into the competition not because of their form but due to the International Cricket Council suspending Zimbabwe Cricket.

And, on expected terms, Nigeria has had a really tough time in the tournament thus far. They started their Qualifiers campaign against Jersey. Jersey batted first, and courtesy prudent contributions from each of their top-six batsmen proceed to rack up 4-184 after 20 overs.

Jersey got off to a swashbuckling start to their innings with openers Nick Ferraby (20 off 11 balls) and Harrison Carlyon (20 off 15 balls). Ferraby scored four scintillating boundaries during his 11-ball 20 before getting knocked over by Isaac Okpe (1-38 in 3.5 overs). Carlyon and Ben Stevens (25 off 23 balls) too weren’t able to cash in on their starts but the duo of Jonty Jenner (57 off 42 balls) and Nick Greenwood (43) ensured that they help Jersey post an eventual match-winning target of 185.

Chasing 186 was never going to be easy for the inexperienced batting unit of the Nigerians and it was proved to the hilt when they were restricted to 7-115 in 2o overs with opener Leke Oyedo (39 off 44 balls). Coming into their second game against Canada, Nigeria needed their batting step-up if they were to have any chance of redeeming their fledgling campaign and get maiden points on the board.

When you’ve gotta go, you’ve gotta go! 

But unfortunately, it was not their batting prowess but the call of nature to batsman Sulaimon Runsewe that became the biggest talking point. Chasing 160 to win, Nigeria lost both their openers- Daniel Ajekun (2) and Leke Oyede (0)- within a space of nine balls. But Sulaimon Runsewe (27) and Chimezie Onwuzulike (39) rebuilt the fledgling innings. But with the score reading at 38/2 in the 7th over, Sulaimon Runsewe had to rush to the dressing room to answer the unrelenting nature’s call.

No one could stop him while the umpires were also amused by the whole scene. At one stage, the next batsman was set to come out to bat only for Runsewe to appear in the nick of time to resume his innings. Unfortunately, Runsewe did not last long with Zafar putting an end to his knock in the 10th over. The partnership between Runsewe and Onwuzulike was the lone shining point of the Nigerian innings as none of the other batsmen could put any resistance, resulting in them ending up at 8-109, 50-runs short of the target.

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