Namibia stun South Africa to seal historic T20I win

WINDHOEK: Ruben Trumpelmann’s three-wicket haul, followed by an ice-cool finish from Zane Green, helped Namibia edge South Africa in a last-ball thriller to seal a memorable win in a one-off T20I here at the Namibia Cricket Ground on Saturday.

Set a mere 135-run target, Namibia hit the winning runs on the last ball of the match, losing six wickets in the process. The thrilling victory marked Namibia’s first against South Africa in their maiden meeting.

Namibia lost their openers Jan Frylinck and Louren Steenkamp in the first four overs. Frylinck made seven from five, whereas Steenkamp scored 13 from 19 balls.

Despite early wickets, the home side kept chipping away with runs at a decent rate. South Africa got their third wicket after the power play in the form of Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton.

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The Proteas kept taking wickets at regular intervals, with the game evenly poised after 16.3 overs as the scorecard read 101-6 in 16.3 overs.

However, the 37* run partnership between Zane Green and Ruben Trumpelmann turned the game on its head.

With 11 required off the last over, Green struck six and four on the last ball, which completed Namibia’s fourth T20I win against a full member nation.

For South Africa, Nandre Burger and Andile Simelane picked up two wickets.

Earlier, after opting to bat first, South Africa could only muster 134-8 in 20 overs.

Jason Smith top-scored for the visitors with 31 from 30 balls with the aid of two fours. Meanwhile, Quinton de Kock, returning to international cricket after taking his retirement back, managed to score just one run.

For Namibia, Ruben Trumpelmann remained the standout bowler, picking up three wickets.

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