Northern Lions and Middle-Belt Tigers Keep Their Winning Streaks Unbroken in Cricket.

The Nigeria Super League (NSL) kept the TBS Cricket Oval in Lagos buzzing on Matchday 3, as Northern Lions and Middle‑Belt Tigers preserved their unbeaten starts.

Match 5 produced one of the most dramatic finishes in the competition to date, with Middle‑Belt Tigers edging Eastern Elephants by just two runs.

Batting first, the Tigers posted 85/4 in nine overs, led by a steady unbeaten 40 from Eghosa Aghedo Destiny. Solomon Chilemanya added a quick 15, while captain Runsewe Sulaimon struck early with a blistering 9 off four balls.

Eastern Elephants responded strongly, with Rahmon Ali scoring 26 off 12 deliveries and Paul Pam contributing 19 to keep the chase alive. Momentum swung back and forth, but disciplined bowling turned the game in favour of the Tigers.

Ndubudem delivered a superb spell under pressure, taking two wickets for just seven runs. Destiny completed an outstanding all‑round display, taking two wickets to complement his unbeaten knock, and was named Player of the Match.

Despite a spirited late push, Eastern Elephants finished on 83/5, falling agonisingly short as Middle‑Belt Tigers secured a memorable victory.

In Match 6, Northern Lions continued their impressive run with a 50‑run win over Central Eagles.

After choosing to bat first, the Lions recovered from an early stumble to finish 117/9 in 20 overs. Captain Okpe Sylvester led from the front with a composed 44 off 38 balls, while Reigneth Osagie added a valuable 28 to push the total beyond 100.

Central Eagles fought back with the ball, led by captain Peter Aho who took 4 wickets for 26 runs. Uboh Ifeanyi also chipped in with two wickets to slow the scoring in the latter stages.

In reply, Central Eagles struggled to build momentum as Northern Lions tightened their grip through disciplined bowling and energetic fielding. Selim Salau top‑scored with 20 runs, while Emmanuel Boniface Oche added 13, but regular wickets kept the chase under control.

Okpe Sylvester finished with a brilliant all‑round performance, taking 3 wickets for just 10 runs in 4 overs. Reigneth Osagie and Eweka Ogbemudia each claimed two wickets as Central Eagles were bowled out for 67 in 15.2 overs.

For his match‑winning contributions with both bat and ball, Okpe Sylvester deservedly earned the Player of the Match award.

Northern Lions sit atop the standings with two wins from two matches and the tournament’s best net run rate of 1.960.

Middle‑Belt Tigers remain unbeaten with four points after another hard‑fought victory and are close behind in second place. Southern Sharks and Central Eagles each have one win and one defeat, while Eastern Elephants and Western Dolphins are still searching for their first victories of the campaign.

FIXTURES

Today

Southern Sharks vs Eastern Elephants (9:30 AM)

Western Dolphins vs Central Eagles (1:00 PM)

Saturday

Northern Lions vs Eastern Elephants (9:30 AM)

Southern Sharks vs Middle‑Belt Tigers (1:00 PM)

Sunday

Southern Sharks vs Central Eagles (9:30 AM)

Western Dolphins vs Eastern Elephants (1:00 PM)