Namibia outclasses Zimbabwe Emerging

Namibia continued their preparations for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup by hosting a Zimbabwe development side. The hosts won comprehensively in the first two matches of the T20 leg, with another T20 and three 50-over matches still to play.

And with the senior Zimbabwe an side on its way to Ireland for an ICC ODI Super League leg, the Emerging XI that travelled to Namibia looked outclassed, with the batting struggling to generate momentum and the bowlers unable to contain the explosive Namibian top order.

The first match on Saturday saw the Zimbabweans limp to 112/8, with tidy spells of 2/5 from Jan Frylinck, 0/10 from Ruben Trumpelmann, and 1/20 from Mauritius Ngupita. Skipper Chamu Chibabha (35 off 35) was the only batter to get more than 20.

In response, Namibia rode Zane Green’s powerful 81* (47) to pass the target in the 13th over just 2 wickets down; Green hit 5 sixes (including three consecutively as he ambushed Tadiwanashe Nyangani) in a pleasing demonstration of form after a few months without cricket for the hosts.

The Sunday game was even more dominant for Namibia, as they piled on 254/4, including another quick-fire knock of 44 (20) from Green, 77 (50) from veteran all-rounder Craig Williams, and an astonishing 93* (29) by the big-hitting JJ Smit, who sent 10 sixes over the rope as he repeatedly unfurled his trademark easy swings over long-on.

The defence by Namibia was headlined by a strong outing from promising young leg-spinner Jan-Nicol Loftie-Eaton, who bamboozled the middle order with 3/5 in his quota of overs as they bundled out the tourists for 122 in 17 overs.