In a match between two associate teams, it wasn’t expected to draw much interest aside from the other teams in the same group. When Oman was all out for 109 runs after batting first, curiosity about the match likely dwindled further. Yet, the Namibia-Oman match turned into a thrilling contest!
With excellent bowling, Oman also restricted Namibia to exactly 109 runs, pushing the match into a Super Over, a scenario the T20 World Cup hadn’t seen in the last four editions. However, Oman couldn’t keep up in the Super Over.
Chasing Namibia’s 21 runs, the Middle Eastern team was restricted to just 10 runs. At Barbados’ Kensington Oval, Namibia’s Super Over hero was David Wiese. The 39-year-old experienced all-rounder scored 13 runs off 4 balls with the bat and then restricted the Omani batsmen with the ball, earning the Man of the Match award.
However, had Wiese managed to play a shot on the final ball of the main match, Namibia might not have faced a tie. Namibia needed just 4 runs to win in the final over.
Oman’s medium pacer Mehran Khan picked up two wickets in the first three balls, intensifying the contest. Wiese got his chance to bat in the last two balls. After taking two runs on the first of these, he needed another two on the final delivery.
But he missed Mehran’s ball that bounced outside off-stump. When Omani wicketkeeper Naseem Khushi also failed to glove the ball, Wiese and his partner Malan Kruger ran for a single.
Khushi had a chance to break the stumps but missed in his haste, allowing Namibia to score a run and end the match in a tie.
Before the final drama, the match had been progressing slowly. Oman lost two wickets in the first two balls after winning the toss and opting to bat.
This was largely due to bowler Ruben Trumpelmann, who took two wickets via LBW in his first two deliveries and another in his second over. After losing three wickets for 10 runs, Oman’s batting never really took off.
Relying on Khalid Kail’s 34 off 39 balls and former captain Zeeshan Maqsood’s 22 off 20 balls, they managed to surpass 100. Trumpelmann took 4 wickets, Wiese took 3.
Namibia played cautiously in their chase. After opener Michael van Lingen was out on the second ball, Nicolas Davin and Jan Frylinck built a 42-run partnership to keep the target within reach.
Davin was out for 24 off 31 balls, but Frylinck stayed till the 20th over. When he was bowled for 45 off 48 balls on the first ball of the final over, Namibia’s chances started slipping.
Yet, the Super Over ultimately brought smiles to the African nation’s faces.
Brief Scores:
Oman: 109 all out in 19.4 overs (Prajapati 0, Khushi 6, Ilyas 0, Maqsood 22, Kail 34, Ayaan 15, Nadeem 6, Mehran 7, Shakeel 11, Kaleemullah 2, Bilal 1; Trumpelmann 4-0-21-4, Wiese 3.4-0-28-3, Lungameni 4-0-18-0, Scholtz 4-0-20-1, Erasmus 4-0-20-2).
Namibia: 109/6 in 20 overs (Lingen 0, Davin 24, Frylinck 45, Erasmus 13, Smit 8, Wiese 9*, Green 0, Kruger 1*; Bilal 4-0-25-1, Shakeel 3-0-20-0, Kaleemullah 2-0-10-0, Ilyas 4-1-17-1, Mehran 3-1-7-3, Maqsood 2-0-12-0).
Result: Match tied. Namibia won in the Super Over.
Man of the Match: David Wiese
