Ireland won the toss and elected to bat first against Namibia in the penultimate T20 World Cup first round Group A match.
Earlier in the day, after a really fruitful POWERFUL they lost the plot and keep losing wickets regularly and were not able to capitalize on the good start to end on just 126. In the end, the total was just not enough for the Irish bowlers to defend and they have crashed out of the tournament.
The start by Namibia was slow like a sloth as there was no quickness in their innings early on. They struggled to get going and only managed to score 27 runs, losing one wicket, in the Powerplay. They needed to get through the middle overs well and the duo of Gerhard Erasmus and Zane Green did that with their 48-run stand, which was slow again, but they did what was needed from them. The running between these two was the highlight as they did well to run hard and grab a couple of runs whenever possible.
Green fell and the hero of the last game, David Wiese walked out. The 15th over changed the momentum for Namibia as they gathered 16 off that over. After that, the duo of Erasmus and Wiese played smartly and kept the run rate in check, with the skipper getting his fifty, and they took their team over the line, with 9 balls to spare.
The best bowling display by Ireland. They did well in the first 10 overs as they kept the run flow in check but failed to keep picking wickets. With the total not being a massive one, regular wickets were what Ireland needed but they never got them. They only managed 2 wickets and had they taken more scalps throughout the innings, they could have made life difficult for Namibia. Curtis Campher was the pick of the lot as he took 2 wickets and Josh Little bowled well too, but, it was not meant to be.
A nation rejoices now! Namibia have done it! What a big moment this is for Namibian cricket as they have booked their place in the Super 12s. All the players will be very glad that their tournament can continue and it does not end prematurely. Ireland, on the other hand, will be mighty disappointed that they have failed to cross this hurdle and it will take them a while to get over this.
DAVID WIESE IS THE PLAYER OF THE MATCH! Wiese says it is very overwhelming. Adds the captain deserves to pick up this trophy and it was a proper captain's innings. Mentions the team has worked really hard and this was a strong performance from them.
Andy Balbirnie, the skipper of Ireland, says the side is surely gutted but says they will come back stronger in future campaigns. Also praises the effort of Namibia and says they were the better side.