Bridgetown: Scotland achieved a landmark T20I victory against Namibia, thanks to a spectacular partnership between Richie Berrington and Michael Leask.
Leask's blistering 17-ball 35, featuring four powerful sixes, alongside captain Berrington's unbeaten 47 off 35 balls, including two fours and two sixes, turned the game decisively in Scotland's favour.
The pivotal 17th over, bowled by Namibia's David Wiese, yielded 19 runs, easing Scotland’s path to victory.
Namibia's struggle with sloppy bowling in the final overs ultimately cost them the game. Scotland capitalised on these errors, efficiently chasing down the target and securing a memorable win.
Despite a challenging start, Scotland's perseverance and strategic gameplay led them to triumph with nine balls to spare.
Namibia set a competitive target of 155, thanks to a stellar performance by captain Gerhard Erasmus, who scored 52 off 31 balls, including five fours and two sixes. Zane Green supported with a solid 28 off 27 balls.
However, frequent wicket losses in the latter stages prevented Namibia from building on these foundations.
Scotland's disciplined bowling attack, led by Brad Wheal with three wickets and Bradley Currie with two, kept Namibia in check. The Scots also impressed in the field, holding onto all their chances.
Scotland's chase got off to a shaky start as George Munsey fell early for 7. Michael Jones briefly steadied the ship with 26 off 20 balls, but Namibia's bowlers kept the pressure on, reducing Scotland to 73/4 and raising the required run rate.
This historic victory for Scotland not only marks their first T20I triumph over Namibia but also highlights their growing prowess in international cricket. Fans can look forward to more exciting performances from this determined Scottish side.
Brief scores: Namibia 155/9 in 20 overs (Gerhard Erasmus 52; Brad Wheal 3/33) lost to Scotland 157/5 in 18.3 overs (Richie Berrington 47*, Michael Leask 35; Gerhard Erasmus 2/29) by 5 wickets.