For 16 overs, it was Namibia's day

ELIZABETH BOTCHERBY: Such was Namibia’s control and dominance for the first 16 overs, a non-cricket fan may have struggled to correctly identify the Full Member nation on scorecard. And that just makes the final four overs even more frustrating

When Martin Guptill dispatched Bernard Scholtz for a six off the fourth ball of the day, Namibia must have feared for the worst. Five balls later, he found the boundary again, seemingly continuing the impressive form which saw him thrash 93 runs off just 56 balls against Scotland earlier in the week.

However, rather than marking the beginning of another Marty masterclass, the first two overs were actually the initial sign of New Zealand’s impending struggle with the bat, a struggle which would last until the final 24 balls of the innings. In fact, such was Namibia’s control and dominance for the first 16 overs, a non-cricket fan may have struggled to correctly identify the Full Member nation on scorecard.

And that just makes the final four overs even more frustrating.

After six overs, it was pretty much even-stevens. Only England could boast a more miserly powerplay economy (4.95) than Namibia’s 5.61 heading into this Group B clash but New Zealand, thanks to their strong running and penchant for strike rotation, had a solid 43 runs at a run rate of 7.16 on the board. Namibia, meanwhile, had an early wicket, Guptill picking out Ruben Trumplemann at mid-off to depart for 18 (18 balls) at the start of the fifth over.

However, there was no questioning which side the next 10 overs belonged to, with Namibia picking up three wickets and restricting New Zealand to just 53 runs in the middle overs. And the secret to their success? Spin trio Scholtz, Gerhard Erasmus and Karl Birkenstock, who took 3 for 24 from their seven overs during this period.

^{Bernard Scholtz, Gerhard Erasmus and Karl Birkenstock}

The success of left-armer Scholtz wasn’t a surprise. The 31-year-old was excellent in the qualifying tournament in the UAE in 2019, taking 15 wickets – the third-most overall – and recording a team-leading economy of 5.34. And while he hasn’t quite reproduced those wickets in the World Cup proper, he has maintained his miserly nature with the ball against tougher opposition, conceding 7.38 runs per over prior to Friday’s match – the most economical of any Namibian player to bowl more than five overs. And against New Zealand, it was no different with Scholtz recording figures of 1 for 15 from three overs – six of which came from Guptill’s first-over boundary – and picking up the wicket of Daryl Mitchell with the second delivery of the seventh over to kickstart his side’s dominance.

The performances of Erasmus and Birkenstock, by contrast, were slightly more unexpected. Skipper Erasmus, a right-arm off-spinner, frequently gives himself a bowl, taking four wickets in 14 overs during Namibia’s qualifying campaign. However, owing to a broken ring finger on his bowling hand, he has been limited in his contribution with the ball. But, sensing a chance to strangle New Zealand in Sharjah’s spin-friendly conditions, he brought himself into the attack in the 10th over and picked up 1 for 8 from three overs. And never has a wicket been more greatly deserved. Erasmus, a player who is enduring daily injections in his hand to manage his injury and who broke down in tears as Namibia secured Super 12 qualification against Ireland, finally had a wicket to go with his half-century in round one – and who better to dismiss as your first T20 World Cup wicket than New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson?

For Birkenstock, another right-arm offie, it was a T20 World Cup debut to remember, with figures of 0 for 9 from his two overs and a brilliant run-out in tandem with Erasmus to remove Devon Conway and reduce New Zealand to 87 for 4 after 14 overs.

At the end of the 16th over, from which Wiese conceded just five runs, New Zealand were 96 for 4 with just 24 balls remaining. A 140-run total suddenly seemed ambition and some 2,500 kilometres east, 1.4 billion Indian fans were having their hopes and prayers answered.

^{Jimmy Neesham and Glenn Phillips}

Unfortunately, as appears to be their batting strategy in this year’s tournament, New Zealand left it late to explode into life and with wickets in hand, Jimmy Neesham and Glenn Phillips took Namibia to task.

Their first victim was Erasmus, punished for a six, three pairs and two singles to bring up New Zealand’s hundred; his only crime with his final six deliveries was bowling them to two players with T20I strike rates in excess of 140. However, it sowed a seed of doubt among Namibia’s bowlers, with Wiese, Trumplemann and JJ Smit all resorting to fuller lengths for the final three overs and being thrashed for 53 runs.

And that was the game. Namibia matched New Zealand blow for blow with the bat, safely navigating the powerplay, losing a handful of wickets in the spin-heavy middle overs and finishing the 16th on 92 for 4 – only four runs behind the Black Caps at the same stage! What they couldn’t do, however, was replicate the death demolition, with Messrs Boult, Southee and Milne shutting up shop to leave Namibia 53 runs shy of victory at the end of play.

Namibia have been one of the highlights of the 2021 T20 World Cup and against New Zealand, they demonstrated once again that they aren’t a million miles away from becoming the team to fear on the Associate circuit. Their powerplay bowling is impressive as are their spinners; if they can just nail the final four overs, taking considerable notes from the likes of Boult and Southee, they will be the complete package with the ball.

Defeating India, who returned to their imperious best against Afghanistan on Wednesday, might be a bridge too far for Erasmus’s men at present, but come Australia next autumn – a tournament for which they have secured automatic qualification – a Full Member upset could be on the cards.

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