THE Namibian Eagles got off to a losing start against the South African Emerging team when they went down by five wickets in their first T20 match at the Wanderers ground on Friday.
SOURCE: https://www.namibian.com.na/101102/read/Emerging-SA-take-the-lead
Namibia scored a competitive 167 for five wickets after being sent in to bat, but the visitors chased the target down for the loss of five wickets and with eight balls in hand.
Namibia got off to a quick start with Craig Williams hitting a six off the first over by Dayyaan Galiem’s, and Zane Green hitting three fours off the second over by Bryce Parsons, but Green didn’t last long, being dismissed for 18 off 10 balls by Galiem.
JP Kotze joined Williams, putting on 37 for the second wicket, before being run out for 20, and when Gerhard Erasmus was dismissed by Parsons for 13, Namibia were three down for 100 by the 13th over.
Craig Williams was in fine nick and kept the scoreboard ticking with some exquisite boundaries, before being run out for 56 off 54 balls which included two sixes and five fours.
Nicol Loftie-Eaton added 37 not out off 20 balls (3×6, 2×4) as Namibia reached 167/5 off their 20 overs.
For the SA Emerging team, Galiem, Parsons and Stefan Tait each took one wicket.
Namibia got off to a fine start when dangerman Grant Roelofsen was dismissed by Ruben Trumpelmann for 5, and with Kabelo Sekhukhune being run out for eight after a direct hit by Tangeni Lungameni, and Trumpelmann dismissing Matthew Breetzke for 17, the visitors were in trouble at 45/3.
Captain Sinethemba Qeshile and Wandile Makwetu however steadied the ship with a 33-run partnership, before Makwetu was dismissed by JJ Smit for 20, and when Qeshile was dismissed by Nicol Loftie-Eaton for 40 off 29 balls (1×6, 4×4), SA still needed 65 runs off 34 balls.
Jason Smith and Delano Potgieter came to the rescue with an unbroken stand of 67 runs off only 26 balls, with Potgieter scoring 26 not out and man of the match Smith 48 not out off 26 balls (3×6, 2×4).
Ruben Trumpelmann was Namibia’s best bowler, taking 2/22 off three overs.
