The 'biggest' one-wicket win: Cameroon break world record in low-scoring thriller in T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier

Cameroon chased down the 65-run target in the 16th over, after having lost nine wickets, making it the biggest one-wicket win in men’s T20 cricket in terms of balls left. With 26 balls left in their innings, Cameroon broke Portugal’s world record of the ‘biggest’ one-wicket men’s T20 victory. The European side had 19 balls to spare when they beat Gibraltar by a wicket in 2023.

There were also two five-wicket hauls registered in the game: Cameroon’s Julien Abega returned 5-24, while Sierra Leone’s Samuel Conteh took five for 23. Remarkably, this was only the second instance of two bowlers taking a five-for each in a men’s T20I match after Vanuatu vs Papua New Guinea in 2019.

Cameroon and Sierra Leone were both looking for their first wins of the ongoing T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier after a defeat in their respective opening games. Abega gave Cameroon an incredible start, having opener Yegbeh Jalloh bowled off the first ball of the match, before two wickets fell in his next over – yet another bowled and a run out, with just 22 runs on the board.

Wickets continued tumbling, with Sierra Leone going from 22-1 to 39-6 and from 47-6 to 64 all out. Only one batter managed to get into double digits, while three recorded ducks. Four of Abega’s five dismissals in the game were bowled, while Roger Atangana took three as well. Cameroon’s chase could have been straightforward; it was anything but that.

They lost all of their top three for golden ducks to Conteh, going down to 3-1 within four balls of their chase. Dipta Loic and Veron Bomnyuy’s 36-run stand took them closer to the target, but the former’s dismissal triggered yet another mini collapse, as Cameroon went from 37-3 to 42-6. Another 16-run stand followed, but Conteh returned to take two wickets in three balls to ensure an interesting finish.

Eventually, Cameroon got home with a wicket and 26 balls to spare to open their account in the T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier. Loic and Bomnyuy were the only two to get into double digits from their side.

Also read: All-time batting and bowling records broken across two T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier matches on same day

Biggest one-wicket win men's T20s (balls remaining)