Namibia edge low-scoring clash with Scotland to record first Super 12 win

Left-arm pace trio Ruben Trumpelmann, JJ Smit and Jan Frylinck laid the foundations for the historic win, taking combined figures of 6 for 47 from their 12 overs, before Smit scored 32 off 23 to get his side over the line with five balls to spare

Abu Dhabi: Scotland 109-8, Namibia 115-6 - Namibia won by four wickets

Scorecard

Namibia have defeated Scotland by four wickets in Abu Dhabi to secure their first Super 12 victory of the 2021 T20 World Cup.

Left-arm pacer Ruben Trumpelmann laid the foundations for the win, taking three wickets in the first over, and was ably supported by Jan Frylinck and JJ Smit.

A slightly laboured batting innings followed before Smit saw the African nation safely over the line with five balls to spare, finishing unbeaten on 32 off 23. 

Having won the toss and elected to bowl, Trumpelmann got Namibia off to an electric start, taking three wickets in the first over to reduce Scotland to 2 for 3.

George Munsey fell for a golden duck, clean bowled by the left-armer off the opening ball, before Calum MacLeod (0) snicked the third delivery through to keeper Zane Green. Stand-in captain Richie Berrington became Trumpelmann’s third victim off the following ball, pinned lbw to become the eighth Scotland player to fall for a duck in their past two matches.

^{JJ Smit (batting) took 1 for 20 with the ball and scored 32 not out with the bat, including hitting the winning six}

Frylinck and Smit joined Trumpelmann in the attack and continued the pace assault for the next four overs, restricting Scotland to 16 for 3, before David Wiese had Craig Wallace removed lbw for four as Namibia picked up their fourth wicket of the powerplay.

Matthew Cross and Michael Leask halted the flow of wickets, safely reaching the halfway mark with the scoreboard showing 43 for 4, before dispatching Michael van Lingen for 14 in the 11th over to release some of the pressure. Frylinck brought Cross’ innings to an end with the first ball of the 12th, bowling the Scotland opener for 19.

A 36-run sixth-wicket partnership between Leask and Chris Greaves then dragged Scotland to within sight of three figures before the former was removed for a spirited 44 (27 balls) by Smit in the 17th.

Frylinck collected his second wicket in the penultimate over, dismissing Mark Watt (caught Gerhard Erasmus) for three, before Wiese ran out Greaves off the final ball of the innings as Scotland closed on 109 for 8.

Frylinck was the pick of the bowlers, posting figures of 2 for 10, while Trumpelmann finished with 3 for 17.

In reply, Namibia’s chase got off to a slow start, failing to hit a boundary until the fifth over when van Lingen dispatched Josh Davey for back-to-back fours. His stay in the middle would, however, prove to be short-lived as he was caught by Berrington (bowled Safyaan Sharif) in the final over of the powerplay to depart for 18.

A laboured 22-run partnership between Green and opener Craig Williams followed, the latter eventually breaking the shackles in the ninth over with a six to bring up Namibia’s 50, before Green was caught by Munsey in the deep to depart for nine.

Captain Erasmus fell two overs later, bowled by Leask for four, and was soon followed back to the changing by Williams, who was stumped by Cross after the opener advanced towards Watt’s full toss and found himself stranded out of his ground. However, requiring 43 runs from 45 balls, Namibia had no reason to panic despite losing three wickets for just 17 runs.

Leask had Wiese caught at third by Watt for 16 in the 18th over and Frylinck departed for two with the scores level to take the match into the final over. But Smit ensured their would be no late heartbreak, dispatching what would be the final ball of the match for six.