Namibia’s Jan smashes fastest T20I hundred

Namibia all-rounder Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton set a new record for fastest T20 international hundred on Tuesday by hammering a 33-ball ton against Nepal in Kirtipur. In the opening game of a tri-series also featuring the Netherlands, Loftie-Eaton smashed 11 fours and eight sixes before being dismissed for 101 from 36 deliveries.

The previous record was held by Nepal’s Kushal Malla, who reached a T20I hundred from 34 balls against Mongolia last year. Namibia posted 206-4 batting first, before Loftie-Eaton also took two wickets as hosts Nepal fell short in their chase, losing by 20 runs. The three teams competing in the tri-series have all qualified for the T20 World Cup to be held in June in the Caribbean and United States.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh on Tuesday named former Glamorgan cricketer and Bermuda international David Hemp as the batting coach of the national men’s team for two years. Former New Zealand all-rounder Andre Adams will join the team as bowling coach for the same duration, the Bangladesh Cricket Board said in a statement.

The duo will begin their tenure with the home series against Sri Lanka in March, the BCB said. Hemp, 53, who scored more than 15,000 runs in first-class cricket for Glamorgan, Free State and Warwickshire, and represented Bermuda in 24 one-day internationals, is currently in charge of Bangladesh’s high-performance team.

He was the head coach of the Pakistan women’s team from 2020 to 2022, and was also the head coach of the Victoria State women’s team and the Melbourne Stars in the Women’s Big Bash League. New bowling coach Adams, 48, who replaces South African great Allan Donald in the role, represented New Zealand in 47 matches across all formats. He also worked as the New Zealand bowling coach in the recent Twenty20 series against Pakistan, and was Australia’s assistant coach in the 2022–23 series against South Africa. Former Sri Lanka batsman Chandika Hathurusinghe is currently the head coach of the Bangladesh men’s team.