DP World Lions lifted the inaugural Global T20 Namibia trophy on Monday, thanks to a five-wicket victory over Lahore Qalandars in the final at the Wanderers Cricket Ground in Windhoek.
The final went to the very last over as DP World Lions, chasing 186 for victory and needing 11 to win from the final set of six deliveries, were led to victory by South Africa international Reeza Hendricks with just one ball remaining.
Hendricks hit Dilbar Hussain’s penultimate ball for six to clinch victory as the 33-year-old batter closed on 94 not out from just 59 deliveries to see his side to the title in style.
Lahore Qalandars had made 185-5 from their 20 overs earlier in the day, with Ahsan Hafeez making an unbeaten 71 for the Pakistan Super League franchise and Ayavuya Myoli contributing figures of 3-26 for the South African outfit.
DP World Lions skipper Malusi Siboto said: “The Global T20 Namibia has been a really good experience for me personally and the team. It’s been really nice to see the guys gel together, to get to understand each other and learn more from the new players. It’s been nice to test ourselves against Namibia and Lahore Qalandars and to see where we are as a team.”
South Africa and DP World Lions star Temba Bavuma continued: “I believe the Global T20 Namibia will help develop players thanks to players coming from different parts of the world with different skill sets that they’re testing against each other. The opportunity for guys to share knowledge will go a long way in terms of developing players and their abilities. This tournament will be a massive benefit to all the teams, especially for the young guys in the team, being able to showcase their skills and what they can do for the franchises.”
Although beaten in the final, Lahore Qalandars captain Hamza Nazar was delighted with the experience of playing in the Global T20 Namibia and added: “This was one of the best cricket experiences we have had in many ways. It’s a million-dollar opportunity for me and for the team overall to come here to Windhoek and play in competitive overseas conditions. I’m very grateful to Lahore Qalandars for providing this chance as no franchise otherwise is generous enough to create such opportunities. I’m also thankful to Cricket Namibia for arranging this tournament which helped both of us. We will go back home as an improved cricketers with a lot of good memories.”
The final brought to an end the five-day T20 competition that also featured Namibia’s men’s national development team, Richelieu Eagles, who narrowly missed out on the final and beat the Imperial Lions in the group stage of the competition.
The Global T20 Namibia, which aims to aid player and talent development by bringing teams together from all over the world, will return in 2023 and has an initial three-year agreement in place that secures its future on the international calendar.
This year’s debut for the tournament also introduced APS Pink Day, which brought together the local community to raise both awareness of cancer and money in support of charities fighting the disease in Namibia. A bumper crowd decked out in pink turned up to support, with Namibia wearing a special pink kit that was later auctioned off and all proceeds going to local cancer charities.
Cricket Namibia CEO, Johan Muller, said: “The first year of this tournament exceeded all our key success indicators. The on-field cricket quality was exceptional, and all teams showcased world class talent in competitive matches all the way through the tournament. The aim was to play against top quality opposition, with different skill sets, as we start our preparation for this year’s T20 World Cup. It gave us the opportunity to experiment with certain roles and positions in high pressure situations. We want to thank both teams for coming out and believe that they gained valuable pre-season preparation.
“We do view the relationships created in this event as long-term partnerships. Both teams have expressed their eagerness to participate in this event again next year. Through the television broadcast on GEO TV in Pakistan, our local television and digital platforms of FanCode and Dafabet, we managed to showcase upcoming talent.”
The inaugural edition served Namibia’s preparations for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup campaign and kicked-off an exciting period for cricket in the country, which will see the country co-host the 2027 ICC Men’s World Cup alongside neighbours South Africa and Zimbabwe. It also marked the end of a remarkable career for Namibia’s legendary all-rounder Craig Williams, who has called time on his playing days.
Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus added: “It’s been an absolutely fantastic tournament. Playing against quality opposition and getting the Namibian people out and excited about cricket is what the Global T20 Namibia has all been about. We’ve got a tough couple of months ahead so we’re looking to progress in the build-up, continue playing quality cricket and to inspire the next kids around here to play in order to make cricket the sport of choice around here.”
Lahore Qalandars stay on in Namibia to play two 50-over matches against the Richelieu Eagles at the same venue on 7 and 9 September.
Franchise director of cricket operations, and former Pakistan international, Aaqib Javed said: “Namibia has a small cricketing population but with the sort of engagement around with the kids playing the game I see they have a prosperous future with the game. The tournament has pulled a lot of youth in the ground and this event is a small stepping step to make kids fall in love with the game. Namibia playing two World Cups in 12 months is going to have more eyeballs following them.”
