A brilliant century by JJ Smit led Namibia to a five-wicket victory against the Emerging SA team at Wanderers on Saturday, to tie their T20 series at 1-1.
SOURCE: https://www.namibian.com.na/101116/read/Brilliant-Smit-leads-Namibia-to-victory
Emerging SA scored an imposing 190 for four wickets off their 20 overs, and when Namibia slumped to 36/3 after 5,2 overs, a victory seemed highly unlikely.
Smit however swung the match Namibia’s way with a great innings.
He shared a century partnership with Gerhard Erasmus, who scored 38, and then raced to his century off only 43 balls.
The match went down to the wire with Namibia needing one run off the last ball and Jan Frylinck obliged by flicking a Stefan Tait delivery off his toes for four.
There was only going to be one man of the match though, with Smit taking the honours after remaining not out on 103 off 45 balls, which included 10 massive sixes and three fours.
In Emerging SA’s innings, Grant Roelofsen and Kabelo Sekhukhune put on 86 off 10 overs before Roelofsen was run out for 52 from a great throw by Ruben Trumpelmann.
Gerhard Erasmus dismissed Sekhukhune for 37, but Jonathan Bird took centre stage, scoring 74 not out off 37 balls (5×6, 4×4) and with Matthew Breetzke scoring 18, the reached 190/4 off their 20 overs.
Namibia’s wicket takers were Trumpelmann (1/33), Frylinck (1/35) and Erasmus (1/20).
Namibia’s innings got off to a poor start as Zane Green (5), Nicol Loftie Eaton (5) and JP Kotze all went cheaply, but that set the stage for Smit to take Namibia to a great victory.
The scorecard:
https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/south-africa-emerging-players-tour-of-namibia-2021-1260254/namibia-eagles-vs-south-africa-emerging-players-2nd-match-1260257/full-scorecard
