Scotland down Namibia by five wickets in T20 World Cup 2024

Scotland showcased remarkable resilience to secure a hard-fought victory, propelling them to the top of Group B with a decisive win over Namibia. This triumph marks Scotland’s first T20I victory against Namibia, enabling them to surpass the African nation in the ICC rankings.

Chasing a target of 156, Scotland faced a challenging pursuit. The task was sealed by Richie Berrington’s six in the penultimate over, despite a shaky start that saw them at 73/4 after 11 overs. Berrington, with an unbeaten 47 off 35 balls, and Michael Leask, who blasted 35 off 17 balls, led the recovery. Although the chase concluded with nine balls remaining, the tension throughout was palpable.

Namibia, having won the toss in a dry but overcast Bridgetown, opted to bat first. Their captain, Gerhard Erasmus, was instrumental, scoring a robust 52 off 31 balls before being stumped by Leask. Namibia posted a competitive total of 155/9 at the Kensington Oval, with Erasmus’s knock being the highlight. Brad Wheal made an immediate impact by dismissing JP Kotze for a duck before a run was scored. Additional early wickets by Brad Currie and Chris Sole left Namibia struggling, with only Erasmus showing significant fluency. Contributions from Zane Green (28 off 27) and David Wiese (14 off 13) helped stabilize the innings but late runs were scarce.

Scotland’s chase began with an early setback as George Munsey was dismissed for 7 off 15. Michael Jones’s departure at 49/2 in the eighth over added to the pressure. A crucial moment came when Namibia’s keeper, Zane Green, smartly caught Brandon McMullen out of his crease, shifting the momentum. Matthew Cross’s LBW dismissal for 3 off 5 in the 11th over put Namibia firmly in contention.

However, Berrington’s consecutive boundaries in the 13th over regained control for Scotland. Leask’s six in the following over took Scotland past the 100 mark, and a 19-run surge in the 17th over brought them within reach of their target. Although Leask was dismissed shortly after, Berrington completed the chase, ensuring Scotland’s historic win over Namibia.