Windhoek (Namibia), Oct 11
Namibia pulled off a thrilling four-wicket win over South Africa in the one-off T20I on Saturday, sealing victory off the final delivery of the match played in Windhoek on Saturday. The result marked South Africa's second T20I loss to an Associate nation, after their defeat to the Netherlands at the 2022 T20 World Cup.
Chasing 135 for victory, Namibia relied on Zane Green's unbeaten 30 off 23 balls and Ruben Trumpelmann's all-round brilliance (3-28 and 8-ball 11 not out). With 11 runs required off the final over, Green swung the momentum with a six off the first ball from Andile Simelane. The pacer recovered to bowl four tight deliveries, but a low full toss off the last ball was whipped away by Green to seal the win.
Earlier, South Africa opted to bat and lost Quinton de Kock and Reeza Hendricks cheaply. On a tricky surface, Lhua-dre Pretorius and Rubin Hermann added 30 runs before Trumpelmann struck again, aided by a fine catch at deep square leg. Regular wickets pegged South Africa back, reducing them to 68 for 5 in the 11th over.
Jason Smith provided some late resistance, but boundaries were hard to come by on a surface offering grip and bounce. Contributions from Bjorn Fortuin and Gerald Coetzee lifted the total past 130; South Africa eventually finished on 134 for 8.
Namibia's chase started steadily despite early wickets. South Africa's pacers, especially Coetzee, struggled for consistency, leaving the field four balls into his second over. By the seventh over, Namibia had 51 runs on the board despite losing three wickets.
Captain Gerhard Erasmus, JJ Smit, and Jason Kruger steadied the innings through the middle overs, ensuring Namibia stayed within reach. When 28 were needed from the last three overs, Green and Trumpelmann kept calm, finding boundaries at crucial moments before completing a famous win off the final ball.
Trumpelmann was named Player of the Match for his decisive all-round performance that sealed a historic result for Namibia.
Brief scores:
South Africa 134/8 in 20 overs (Jason Smith 31, Rubin Hermann 23; Ruben Trumpelmann 3-23, Max Heingo 2-32) lost to Namibia 138/6 in 20 overs (Zane Green 30 not out, Gerhard Erasmus 21; Nandre Burger 2-21, Andile Simelane 2-28) by four wickets.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Zane Green showing nerves of steel in that final over! Hitting a six off the first ball and then finishing it with that boundary. This is why I love cricket - the underdog stories are the best! 🇳🇦
South Africa really needs to sort out their T20 game. Second loss to an associate nation in recent years. Their batting lineup looked clueless on that tricky surface. Big concern before the World Cup.
As someone who follows associate cricket closely, this is massive for Namibia! They've been improving steadily and this win will give them so much confidence. The final over drama was just amazing to watch!
The partnership between Green and Trumpelmann in those final overs was pure class. They kept their cool when the pressure was highest. That's what separates good teams from great ones.
While it's great to see associate teams doing well, I feel South Africa didn't take this match seriously enough. Their team selection and approach seemed casual. Full credit to Namibia though - they played with heart and deserved the win!
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