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HARARE: JJ Smit’s all-round heroics powered Namibia to a victory over Tanzania, securing a spot in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, set to be held in India and Sri Lanka.
Namibia’s victory in the first semi-final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Regional qualifiers marked the fourth consecutive time they have qualified for the mega event. Their previous appearances came in the 2021, 2022, and 2024 World Cups.
After being put into bat, Namibia scored 174 on the loss of six wickets in their 20 overs.
Namibia were in trouble with 41-4 in 4.4 overs, when skipper Gerhard Erasmus and JJ Smit paired up at the crease. The duo added 88 runs for the fifth wicket partnership, which helped them out of trouble.
Gerhard Erasmus made 55 from 41 balls with the aid of six fours, whereas JJ Smit remained unbeaten with 61 from 43 balls, striking four sixes and a boundary.
For Tanzania, Ally Kimote and Khalidy Juma picked up two wickets each.
Set 175, Tanzania mustered only 111-8 in their 20 overs, courtesy of clinical bowling.
Abhik Patwa remained the top-scorer with 31 from 31 balls with the aid of three fours and a six; however, it was not enough as Namibia chipped in with wickets at regular intervals.
After shining with the bat, JJ Smit was excellent with the ball as well and picked up three crucial wickets to help his team seal a memorable win. Ben Shikongo supported him well from the other end, managing to bag three wickets in his quota of four overs.
In the second semi-final, Kenya will face Zimbabwe in a bid to qualify for the marquee event. South Africa is the third African team to qualify directly for the World Cup.
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