Namibia’s innings began with plenty of urgency but little composure, as frantic running between the wickets nearly cost them in the opening over. Off-spinner Aryan Dutt set the tone in the powerplay, conceding just 13 runs in his three overs and removing Louren Steenkamp.

Namibia briefly recovered through a 50-run stand between Jan Frylinck and Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, who top-scored with 42. But the duo and skipper Gerhard Erasmus fell in their bid to up the tempo, as none of the Namibian batters managed to convert their starts into a defining knock.

Scott Edwards rotated his eight bowlers smartly to keep Namibia to a slightly under par total, leaving the Netherlands with a chase of 157 that they will back themselves to achieve.

Dutt opened proceedings for the Netherlands and created drama on the final ball when Steenkamp nudged to the on-side for a single but survived a run-out chance when Edwards accidentally dislodged a bail before gathering the ball.

With Dutt getting turn and bounce, he had a breakthrough in his second over when he beat Steenkamp in flight and had him stumped by Edwards for six. Fred Klaassen’s introduction in the fourth over saw Frylinck begin a brief counterattack – flicking through midwicket for four and then launching him straight over the bowler’s head for six.

After surviving an lbw appeal off Colin Ackermann, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton smoked him for a towering six and later edged one for four, while Frylinck sliced him over cover to pick another boundary. After the partnership crossed the fifty-mark, Loftie-Eaton had twin reprieves on the same ball – de Leede dropping his chance at cover, while Ackermann failed to gather the ball in time to inflict a run-out.

Van Beek returned in the ninth over to break the 50-run stand by having Frylinck nick behind for 30.

But Loftie-Eaton began to open up, lofting Ackermann over long-off and pulling with authority for six and four respectively.

Erasmus arrived with intent – hammering Timm van der Gugten for a six over long-on and two fours hit on both sides of the wicket in quick succession. But de Leede struck back in the 13th over, as Erasmus mistimed a pull to midwicket and fell for 18, while van Beek had Loftie-Eaton mistiming an off-cutter and holing out to long-on.

JJ Smit broke free against Roelof van der Merwe by launching him cleanly over cow corner before going down on one knee to smack it over long-off for a brace of sixes.

But Netherlands made a late fightback which didn’t allow Namibia to have a great finishing flourish. De Leede struck again when he cramped Smit for room on a late cut and hit the top of the off stump, while Klaassen returned to have Zane Green hole out to deep cover.

Erasmus arrived with intent – hammering Timm van der Gugten for a six over long-on and two fours hit on both sides of the wicket in quick succession. But de Leede struck back in the 13th over, as Erasmus mistimed a pull to midwicket and fell for 18, while van Beek had Loftie-Eaton mistiming an off-cutter and holing out to long-on.

Also Read: Live Cricket Score

Brief Scores: Namibia 156/8 in 20 overs (Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton 42, Jan Frylinck 30; Logan van Beek 2-13, Bas de Leede 2-20) against Netherlands

Article Source: IANS