Zimbabwe took on Namibia in the third match of the five-match series. The match took place at the Wanderers Cricket Ground in Windhoek and saw the Zimbabwean side emerge victorious in the contest by six wickets. With the win Zimbabwe also gained an impressive (2-1) lead over the home team.
Winning the toss and opting to bat first, Namibia posted a decent total of 138 runs for the loss of six wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Jan Frylinck was the standout performer for the Namibian side, scoring 41 runs off 39 balls, which included three fours and one six. Jean-Pierre Kotze contributed with 31 runs off 28 deliveries as well. On the other hand, the bowlers from Zimbabwe displayed a collective effort to keep Namibia in check.
In response, Zimbabwe chased down the target with 8 balls to spare, finishing at 144-4 in 18.4 overs. Sikandar Raza played a crucial role in the victory, smashing 52 runs off 36 balls, featuring four fours and three sixes. Notably, this was Raza’s second consecutive half-century in the series. Tinashe Kamunhukamwe contributed 36 runs from 32 deliveries, and anchored the Zimbabwean innings despite the early loss of Nick Welch. In the end, Zimbabwe was successfully reached the set target.
Namibia’s bowlers struggled to defend their total, with Frylinck and Ben Shikongo taking one wicket each. Zimbabwe’s six-wicket victory in this contest even saw them gain a lead in the series, making it a thrilling leg between these two teams.
The action between these two sides will now continue on Sunday, with the next match also scheduled at Wanderers Cricket Ground. Namibia now needs to win the next game to stay alive in the contest and cricket enthusiasts can’t wait to see which team will fare better in this exciting series. – Agencies
