Namibia succesfully completed their highest-successful chase in a T20I to keep their Super 12 hopes alive and put Netherlands on the brink of an early elimination. The Dutch have now lost two group stage matches, have to beat Sri Lanka and hope Ireland win both their remaining games. Namibia, on the other hand, have their fate in their own hands after completing their first World Cup win in senior men’s cricket.
After conceding 164 runs, a total which could have been lower after a fielding effort filled with missed chances, Namibia stumbled to 52 for 3 in the ninth over and were facing a huge task. But a 93-run fourth wicket partnership between Namibian captain Gerhard Erasmus and David Wiese, which came in 8.3 overs, put Namibia on the brink of victory before Wiese and JJ Smit saw them home.
Well Deserved Player of the Match
There were several candidates to choose from in this match but this unique award has to go to Wiese. He turned Namibia’s innings around with a vintage performance that involved clearing the rope five times, all in the ‘V.’
Wiese’s first shot in anger came when he charged Roelof van der Merwe and hit the ball over his head for six, which put Namibia on 68 for 3 at the midway stage, needing 97 runs off the last 10 overs. Namibia scored 52 runs off the next four overs, and Wiese scored 37 of those.
He brought up his first fifty for Namibia off 29 balls with a six over cover point and brought their required run-rate down to just over six runs an over in the last three overs, when they needed 19 runs.
Wiese only faced one ball in the final over, and Smit hit the winning runs, but he set the victory up and finished on an unbeaten 66 off 40 balls. Wiese also took the Player of the Match award.
“Pace off the Ball” – The New Trick
Pace off the ball is likely to become the phrase of the tournament, and if you need a visual, look no further than the first two wickets of the Dutch innings.
Jan Frylinck delivered a slow-motion bouncer to Stephan Myburgh, who tried to upper-cut him over point, but was earlier on the stroke than he would have liked and lobbed it to Stephan Baard at point.
Two overs later, Wiese bowled a short, wide, and slow delivery that van der Merwe tried to cut but ended up slashing high to Bernard Scholtz at third man.
More fumbles, but it doesn’t matter as much
The fielding remained poor when Netherlands began their defence. In the third over, Baard punched a ball into the covers and took a single which appeared completely out of the question. van der Merwe rushed his throw that would have run Baard out at the striker’s end and he escaped an early exit.
Two overs later, Namibia’s mini-collapse began, when Zane Green dragged an attempted pull onto his stumps off Frank Klaasen. They went on to lose 3 for 18, with Baard the third of those wickets when he missed a flick and was clean bowled by the Netherlands captain Pieter Seelar.
But then came the 93-run stand between Erasmus and Wiese to seize the advantage for Namibia once more, and that was that.