Namibia had no answer to Pakistan’s spinners, as they slumped to a huge 102-run defeat in their final match at the T20 Cricket World Cup in Colombo yesterday.
After being set a winning target of 200 runs, Namibia’s batters were all at sea against Pakistan’s spinners, as they were bundled out for 97.
Usman Tariq led the way with four wickets for 16 runs, while Shadab Khan took 3/19, but it was Pakistan’s opener Sahibzada Farhan who won the man of the match award after scoring an unbeaten century.
Namibia bowlers JJ Smit and Ruben Trumpelmann gave Pakistan’s openers some problems early on with their swing and pace as especially Saim Ayub was lucky to survive two close catches.
His luck finally ran out in the sixth over when 20-year-old Jack Brassell, making his world cup debut, had him caught behind for 14 off his first ball, and after the six-over powerplay Namibia were well in the game with the total at 47/1.
Farhan however upped the run rate when he hit WP Myburgh for three sixes off the ninth over, but the momentum swung back to Namibia when Brassel got his second wicket, having Salman Agha caught for 38, with the total at 118/2 off 13 overs.
Pakistan were reduced to 118/3 when Gerhard Erasmus caught and bowled Khawaja Nafay for 5 the next over, but Shadab Khan joined Farhan to revive Pakistan’s innings with an unbeaten 81-run partnership.
Khan was not out on 36 off 22 balls (1×4, 3×6), while Farhan reached his century in the final over, remaining not out on 100 off 58 balls (11×4, 4×6).
Brassell was Namibia’s standout bowler, taking 2/48, while Erasmus took 1/25.
In reply, Namibia got off to a quick start as Jan Frylinck and Louren Steenkamp put on 32 runs off four overs, but Salman Mirza got the breakthrough, bowling Frylinck for 9.
That was as good as it got for Namibia, though, as Pakistan’s spinners took complete control. Nicol Loftie-Eaton was narrowly run out for 5, but the rest of the wickets fell to the spinners as they crashed to 97 all out.
The only Namibian batters who made double figures were Steenkamp with 23 runs and another 20-year-old debutant Alexander Volschenk who scored 20, as Namibia lost their last six wickets for only 18 runs.
It was Namibia’s fourth successive defeat at t he world cup, while Pakistan clinched a place in the Super 8s after finishing second behind India in Group A.
Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus said they started off well.
“I think we started well with Jack Brassell, running in hard, and well supported by JJ Smit and Ruben Trumpelmann. They gave a lot of energy in the opening stages, but unfortunately we couldnt break through two or three times to really put pressure on them in that middle period and slow it up,” he said.
“It’s a special skill to have, to be able to turn the ball both ways, like they do. I think that’s one of the things we’ll definitely take home and look to improve on, is facing that type of bowling and making good plans around it and getting that skill level up in order to combat that,” he added.
Erasmus singled out the performances of their opening batters Louren Steenkamp and Jan Frylinck thoughoiut the tournament.
“I think for us, it’s always about nailing those specialist positions. I think for these four editions of the world cup that we’ve been to, it’s largely been a top and bottom kind of thing, and I think our openers did very well with the bat at this tournament,” he said.
Although this was the end of the road for Namibia at the T20 World Cup, there’s still lots of cricket in store, starting with a Crickelt World Cup League 2 triseries against Oman and Scotland next month, and then culminating in next year’s Cricket World Cupo that Namibia will co-host with South Africa and Zimbabwe.
Erasmus said there are exciting times ahead for Namibian cricket.
“There’s lots of cricket around and lots of very exciting things happening in and around Cricket Namibia, which gives the boys a lot of pleasing things to play for, and for the future of cricket in the country, there’s definitely a lot to play for,” he said.
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