Bridgetown: In a nail-biting encounter at Kensington Oval on Monday, Namibia emerged victorious over Oman in a Super Over, after both teams were tied at the end of their gripping 40-over match. David Wiese and Gerhard Erasmus were the stars of the show, leading Namibia to a well-deserved and hard-fought win.
The game was evenly matched until the Super Over, where Namibia seized control decisively. Batting first, Namibia amassed 21 runs with Wiese smashing a four and a six, and Erasmus contributing with two more boundaries off the final balls.
The Namibian duo's aggressive batting set a formidable target for Oman.
Wiese's excellence continued with the ball in the Super Over. His precise yorkers left the Omani batters with no room to maneuver. He claimed the crucial wicket of Naseem Khushi, and despite a last-ball six by Aquib Illyas, Oman could only manage 10 runs in reply.
The regular match saw Namibia struggling in their chase on a sluggish pitch. They lost an early wicket and maintained a run-a-ball pace after the powerplay. Oman's spinners tightened their grip, making it difficult for Namibia to accelerate.
Both Erasmus (13 off 16) and JJ Smith (8 off 12) played rash shots, putting Oman in a commanding position.
However, Wiese's timely six in the penultimate over kept Namibia's hopes alive. With five runs needed in the final over, Mehran Khan's excellent bowling forced the game into the Super Over.
Earlier in the match, Namibia had a dream start with the ball in their T20 World Cup campaign. Winning the toss and opting to bowl, they quickly put Oman on the back foot. Trumpelmann was sensational, taking a wicket with the first ball of the innings and following it up with another in the same over. He claimed his third victim in his second over, leaving Oman reeling.
Namibian spinners Bernard Scholtz and Erasmus continued to apply pressure with their tight bowling. Despite some resistance from Zeeshan Maqsood and Khalid Kail, Oman struggled to build any significant momentum. Wiese's clever bowling in the death overs, combined with Trumpelmann's four-wicket haul, restricted Oman to a below-par score.
With their balanced attack and solid batting lineup, Namibia will feel confident moving forward in the tournament after this thrilling victory.
Brief Scores: Oman 109 in 19.4 overs (Khalid Kail 34; Ruben Trumpelmann 4-21, David Wiese 3-28) tied with Namibia 109/6 in 20 overs (Jan Frylinck 45; Mehran Khan 3-7) Namibia won the Super Over.