SOURCE: The Namibian https://www.namibian.com.na/100493/read/Namibia-wrap-up-T20-series
NAMIBIA wrapped up the T20 series against Uganda with their third successive victory at the Wanderers field yesterday.
On Saturday, Namibia won the first T20 international by seven wickets, while they won the second yesterday morning by 20 runs on the Duckworth Lewis system after rain interrupted play.
Yesterday afternoon, Namibia posted an emphatic 65-run victory to wrap up the T20 series 3-0.
On Saturday, Gerhard Erasmus played a captain’s innings to steer Namibia to a commanding seven wicket victory in their first T20 International.
Erasmus scored 62 not out off only 36 balls as Namibia easily reached the winning target of 135 with five overs to spare.
Uganda opted to bat after winning the toss, but never got going as they struggled against some disciplined bowling by Namibia.
Opener Roger Mukasa scored 26 off 23 balls, Hamu Kayondo scored 28 off 29 balls and Ronak Patel scored 35 not out off 37 balls, while Riazat Ali Shah scored 23 not out off 14 balls as they reached to 134/5 off their 20 overs.
Ben Shikongo, with two wickets for 24 runs, was the pick of the Namibian bowlers.
In reply, Namibia lost their openers early on, with JP Kotze going for two and Craig Williams for four, but Gerhard Erasmus and Nicol Loftie-Eaton put them back on track with a 41-run partnership.
Loftie-Eaton was dismissed for 18, but Michau du Preez joined Erasmus to take Namibia to victory with an unbroken partnership of 82 runs, as they reached the target with five overs to spare.
Du Preez was not out on 29 off 25 balls, while Erasmus was not out on 62 off only 36 balls, which included four sixes and five fours.
Yesterday morning, Namibia reached 134/6 off their 20 overs and then restricted Uganda to 65/5 when rain intervened. Due to a lack of time the match could not resume and Namibia won the match by 20 runs on the Duckworth Lewis system.
Namibia’s innings got off to a shaky start with JP Kotze (2), Craig Williams (10), Gerhard Erasmus (11) and Nicol Loftie-Eaton (6) all going cheaply as Namibia slumped to 34 for four wickets.
JJ Smit and Michau du Preez, however, revived the innings with a 66-run partnership for the fifth wicket.
Smit was the first to go, bowled by Riazat Ali Shah for 40 off 32 balls (2×6, 1×4), while Du Preez remained not out on 33 off 33 balls.
Further down the order Karl Birkenstock added 16 and Jan Frylinck 10 not out, while Riazat Ali Shah took three wickets for 23 runs.
Uganda’s innings got off to a poor start as Namibia’s pace bowlers Ben Shikongo and Jan Frylinck penned them back with some early wickets as they slumped to 14/4.
Ronak Patel and Kenneth Waiswa put them back on track with a 49-run partnership, before Waiswa was out for 33 off 31 balls (2×6, 3×4).
Patel was not out on 19 as Uganda reached 65/5 when the rain intervened.
In the final T20 yesterday, Craig Williams scored a brilliant 81 off only 49 balls to lead Namibia to a comfortable 65-run victory.
Williams and Stephan Baard put on 67 runs for the first wicket before Baard was out for 23 off 23 balls.
JP Kotze joined Williams and continued with the onslaught as they shared a 69-run second wicket partnership before Williams was eventually out for 81 off only 49 balls, which included one six and 12 fours.
Kotze added 37 off 32 balls and JJ Smit 35 off 13 as Namibia reached a formidable 189/3 off their 20 overs.
Uganda once again got off to a poor start as they lost their first two wickets for 13 runs, but Arnold Otwani and Riazat Ali Shah got them back on track with a 46-run partnership, before Scholtz dismissed Otwani for 21.
Shah added a rapid 33 off 17 balls, but was run out after a communication breakdown with Dinesh Makrani, which effectively ended their challenge as they slumped to 124 all out.
Namibia’s best bowlers were Jan Frylinck (3/21) and Tangeni Lungameni (3/30).
