In one of the biggest upsets in recent times, Namibia defeated South Africa by 4 wickets on Saturday handing the Proteas their first loss to an associate nation. For Namibia, this was the fourth time they have beaten a full-member nation in T20Is after wins against Ireland, Zimbabwe, and Sri Lanka.
South Africa batted first and could only muster 134/8 in their allotted 20 overs with Jason Smith top scoring with 31 runs. Ruben Trumpelmann was the pick of the bowlers for Namibia snapping up 3 wickets for 28 runs.
Chasing, Namibia had lost 5 wickets before 100 runs but wicketkeeper Zane Green steadied the innings, smashing a 6 and a 4 in the last over to guide his team to a tense win.
The match marked the return to the South Africa side of swashbuckling opener Quinton de Kock, after the 32-year-old changed his mind about retirement.
But his first international knock in 16 months lasted only four balls as he was dismissed in the first over for one. De Kock is in South Africa’s squad for a three-match T20 series and three one-day internationals in Pakistan this month.
“Obviously you can see what it means for the team. If you look into the crowd spaces, you can see what it means for them. And that’s what’s special about, I think, any national team playing in front of their own people – it’s how you inspire the next generation to play, and how you inspire the community upwards, I guess. The guys did it with good skill. I’m proud of them, that’s so good. You know, both of them operate at a high level, they’re consistent performers. So it’s okay for Zane Green, on his birthday, to come off like that. Such a special moment. It’s so important to play against high-quality opposition,” Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus said after the match.
“The South African side – certainly we’d like them to come over a little bit more. So thank you for coming, for playing in such good spirit with our boys, and for the good skill our people got to see. This is just the start of things going upward. You’ll find each and every Namibian child that’s watching at home, or right next to the field. Look, we’re a small community, but we’re very tight. We’re very tight-knit, not only around the Windhoek area, but all across the country,” he added.
Earlier this month, Namibia qualified for next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.
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