Richelieu Eagles bowls out Full Member Country Zimbabwe and records first-ever historic series win against a test a nation.
The Richelieu Eagles’ focus getting into the series was to benchmark and play against a good Zimbabwean side to improve in their T20I rankings, not knowing that the Eagles would fly the Namibian flag up high as winners on the last T20I game.
Losing the first game to the host was not ideal with Namibia only shorting seven runs to have won the match, but the Eagles always being on the rise bounced back in the second match beating Zimbabwe by eight wickets.
The attitude and energy embodied by the Eagles have been clinical, alongside good skills that have been showcased on-field in all departments from, batting, bowling and fielding. This rewarding 3-2 series win against Zimbabwe has sent a message to full member countries that an associate member like Namibia has high standards, and can match up to a full member country.
The Richelieu Eagles’ first win in the series was a good boost for the Eagles leading the team to a second win which tied the series by 2-2. The Eagles being away from home and not with so much support as the host, the Eagles once again proved to have been the better side in the final match, comfortably beating full member country Zimbabwe by 32 runs. Opening batter, “The Legend” Craig Williams stood out in the final match as player of the match scoring 48 off 39 balls.
“With today’s series victory over Zimbabwe we have hit a very important milestone in this incredible journey. This team has made us as a nation very proud. Cricket is on everybody’s lips and our vision is becoming more of a reality every time our national team performs. We salute the coaches, management team and players.” – Cricket Namibia President, Dr. Rudie van Vuuren
“We are over the moon; this is something we will treasure for the rest of our lives and the team deserves this. I am so proud of them. It has taken a lot of work, strategies and planning to come beat a team like this. We are extremely proud of them” – National Men’s Head Coach, Pierre De Bruyn
“This win is for every Namibian! We have been humbled by the support we have received from the public, corporate community and government. This team plays for the pride of their country and they give us a lot to be proud of. Congratulations to Pierre de Bruyn, as coach and all the players for their exceptional performances! Thank you to all our stakeholders and commercial partners involved in the Richelieu Eagles and with Cricket Namibia, our partners empower us to be able to perform at this level” – Cricket Namibia CEO, Johan Muller
“We are on this amazing journey, showing no fear and prepared to go ‘where Eagles dare’ – Cricket Namibia Board Member, Trevor Britten
“They say success is what happens when preparation and opportunity meet. A lot of hard work has been done the past few years and now given the opportunity we can show our worth.” – Cricket Namibia Board Member, Henno Prinsloo
“This series victory against Zimbabwe away from home is the culmination of 3 years of immense effort and perseverance from a bunch of talented players and coaches willing to walk the extra mile for their country and to punch way above their weight, even in the face of adversity. I am so proud to be associated with this team and CN as patron. At the same time I wish to thank Zimbabwe for hosting us and for giving the Namibian boys the opportunity to play them. I wish Zimbabwe well for the upcoming T20 CWC qualifiers. As Africans we will be rooting for you to qualify!” – Cricket Namibia Patron, Francois Erasmus
-Ends-