GABORONE, Botswana: In a match that defied cricketing logic, Cameroon and Sierra Leone produced one of the most astonishing low-scoring thrillers the game has ever seen.
When Cameroon needed just 65 runs to win, few expected a nerve-shredding chase that went down to the final wickets. But when the dust settled, Cameroon had not only secured their first victory of the T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier, they had also broken a world record.
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Chasing a modest target of 65, Cameroon stumbled, staggered, and nearly collapsed before scraping home in the 16th over with just one wicket in hand. Remarkably, they still had 26 balls to spare when the winning run was scored. That margin, winning by one wicket with 26 deliveries remaining, now stands as the biggest one-wicket victory in men’s T20 cricket history in terms of balls left.
The previous world record belonged to Portugal, who beat Gibraltar by one wicket with 19 balls remaining in 2023. Cameroon has now pushed that mark further into the history books.
A game of two five-wicket hauls
What made the contest even more extraordinary was the rare feat achieved by the bowlers. Cameroon’s Julien Abega returned figures of 5 for 24, while Sierra Leone’s Samuel Conteh claimed 5 for 23.
This marked only the second instance in men’s T20I history where two bowlers have taken five-wicket hauls in the same match, the first being Vanuatu versus Papua New Guinea in 2019.
Abega set the tone immediately, bowling opener Yegbeh Jalloh off the very first ball of the match. Two more wickets fell in his next over, and Sierra Leone’s innings never recovered. The batting side slid from 22 for 1 to 39 for 6, and then from 47 for 6 to a total of just 64 all out. Only one batter reached double figures, while three recorded ducks. Four of Abega’s five dismissals were bowled.
Cameroon’s chase: From disaster to glory
If Sierra Leone’s batting was fragile, Cameroon’s response was nearly catastrophic. Conteh struck with the new ball, removing all of Cameroon’s top three batters for golden ducks, three wickets in four balls. Cameroon slumped to 3 for 1 and then 3 for 2 within the first over.
A 36-run stand between Dipta Loic and Veron Bomnyuy steadied the ship and brought the target within sight. But Loic’s dismissal triggered another collapse: Cameroon crashed from 37 for 3 to 42 for 6.
Another 16-run partnership followed, but Conteh returned to take two wickets in three balls, leaving the tailenders with their hearts in their mouths.
Ultimately, Cameroon crawled past the finish line with one wicket standing and 26 balls to spare. Loic and Bomnyuy were the only two batters from their side to reach double digits.
Statistics at the end
Here are the key numbers from this historic match:
Cameroon’s winning margin: One wicket with 26 balls remaining, a new world record for men’s T20 cricket.
Previous record: Portugal beat Gibraltar by one wicket with 19 balls remaining in 2023.
Only the second time in men’s T20I history that two bowlers took five-wicket hauls in the same match (Abega 5-24, Conteh 5-23).
Sierra Leone: Bowled out for 64 runs, with only one batter reaching double figures.
Cameroon’s chase: Three golden ducks in their top order before scraping home.
Biggest one-wicket wins in men’s T20 cricket (by balls remaining)
Cameroon – beat Sierra Leone by 1 wicket with 26 balls remaining – Gaborone (Oval 2) – 24 May 2026
Portugal – beat Gibraltar by 1 wicket with 19 balls remaining – Gibraltar – 7 May 2023
Ace Capital – beat Kurunegala by 1 wicket with 15 balls remaining – Colombo (CCC) – 5 June 2025
Ragama CC – beat SL Army by 1 wicket with 10 balls remaining – Colombo (SSC) – 29 March 2012
Sinhalese – beat Moors by 1 wicket with 10 balls remaining – Colombo (RPS) – 29 March 2012
