Namibia, Kenya through to global qualifiers

THE ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Final ultimately ended in a damp squib, as yet another day of action was lost to the rain on Friday in Uganda.

The weather, which is generally regarded as a blessing in Africa, seriously hampered the chance for the tournament to really bubble with intrigue. The penultimate day of action was also severely affected, with only Uganda and Ghana taking to the field in Kyambogo.

The hosts won that contest to at least finish their week on some sort of a high, but they were saddened that their spectacle was ruined by the elements.

The inactivity of the final two days meant that the top two teams, Namibia and Kenya, could not be hauled in by anyone, and they deservedly won their ticket to the Global Qualifiers in the United Arab Emirates.

Namibia were the stand-out side in the tournament, with aggressive batting a hallmark of their play. They took control of their matches early, and their senior side seems to have taken on board the lessons learnt by their under-19 side in the World Cup qualifiers.

Now, the Southern Africans are a few weeks away from joining big brothers South Africa at the T20 World Cup next year.

The week was also a triumph for Kenya, whose blend of youth and experience was the perfect recipe for competitive cricket. They held their nerve in some tense moments, and they can look forward to representing the continent with pride at the Global Qualifiers.

Though the rain will linger in the memory, the ground staff must take all the credit as play was only made possible by their tireless efforts, and more is the pity that the sun didn’t fully shine on their big week of hosting a major tournament in African cricket. – icc-cricket.com

https://www.namibian.com.na/78931/read/Namibia-Kenya-through-to-global-qualifiers

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