July 2001 Sport News Headlines

Tuesday, July 17, 2001 - Web posted at 11:34:47 GMT

Holland beat Namibia in dramatic final
HELGE SCHUTZ

Namibia lost Sunday's final of the International Cricket Council Trophy in dramatic fashion, off the last ball of the match.

Needing three runs for victory Jacob Esmeijer hit a Bjorn Kotze delivery to Riaan Walters at fine leg.

Walters dived for the ball, missed it and had to retrieve it 15 metres closer to the boundary as Esmeijer and Asim Khan completed the three runs to give Holland an unlikely victory.

Namibia were cruising to victory with Holland in trouble at 106 for the loss of six wickets and still needing 90 runs for victory.

But then their fielding, which had been one of their strong points in the tournament, let them down as there were two dropped catches, a series of misfields, a pair of missed run outs and then the horrendous end when Holland scrambled three runs off the final ball.

Esmeijer was the Dutch hero with 58 not out from 51 balls.

Namibia would have surely won had not fast bowler Rudi van Vuuren dropped a routine catch offered by Esmeijer on 15 against spinner Deon Kotze when he drove straight to long on.

The ball stayed airborne for an eternity and Van Vuuren got both hands to the ball before dropping the catch in front of the pavilion.

It was a terrible moment for Namibia and Van Vuuren.

Earlier he had taken two wickets in two balls to leave Netherlands 12 for two and on the ropes as they chased 196 for victory.

But Esmeijer received good support from captain and former Somerset bowler Roland Lefebvre (19).

He stuck around to help Esmeijer put on 52 for the seventh wicket.

With 44 needed off five overs Namibia, who had won all their previous 10 matches, still looked favourites.

But as they faltered in the field, the Dutch reduced the deficit until 10 were needed off the final over and Esmeijer saw them home.

Klass van Noortwijk, batting at four, made 50 off 106 balls only to be dismissed one ball later, clean bowled by paceman Bjorn Kotze.

Van Vuuren finished with three for 35 from 10 overs but would probably exchange one of those wickets to have that catch all over again.

Earlier Namibia worked their way to a respectable 195 for nine.

Middle-order batsman Gavin Murgatroyd top scored with 50 before he was dismissed one ball after reaching the landmark.

He faced 68 balls and stroked seven fours.

Captain Danie Keulder was run out for 24 runs, while fellow opener Riaan Walters made six runs.

Murgatroyd, however, got good support from Jan Berrie Burger (38), Deon Kotze (28) and Melt van Schoor (25).

Meanwhile, AFP quoted Ali Bacher as saying that Namibia had stolen the show at the ICC tournament.

"In many ways Africa stole the show in this Trophy tournament. Namibia winning ten out of eleven matches is an extraordinary achievement, given that they were number fourteen in the ladder when they arrived here," he said.

However, Bacher said Namibia's success was unlikely to lead to them hosting matches during the World Cup.

The most important thing for Namibia is that the team does well.

From the United Cricket Board side we will do everything possible, tours whatever, coaches, to make sure that their team is able to compete during the World Cup.

The important issue in Namibia, in my opinion, is to spread cricket to the indigenous Africans of Namibia.

"The World Cup is a unique opportunity to do this and the way to do this is to make sure that the majority of people in Namibia, who are blacks, are able to see cricket on free to air terrestrial television, so that for the first time all Namibians can watch cricket on television and not via satellite which is expensive for the majority of people."

"The South African Broadcasting Corporation hold the TV rights and I will do my best to facilitate an arrangement whereby SABC could on sell or permit the Namibian matches, opening ceremony, opening match, semi-finals and final to be shown on free to air terrestrial television in Namibia."

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