Namibia will be desperate to achieve victory against England following their loss against Australia; only ever having met England once before in a full international matchup, which they lost by 55 runs.
After an extended rain delay, England successfully reduced their innings to 10 overs per side and made 122-5 against Namibia in 10 overs per innings. Nikolaas Davin was retired out to make way for David Wiese, who scored 27 off 12 balls despite Namibia’s best attempts at reaching their DLS-adjusted target of 126. The match added another notable event to the Namibia national cricket team vs England cricket team timeline, showcasing a thrilling contest impacted by rain and high-pressure performances.
The Toss
Weather threatens to overrun the match, but conditions clear in time for an exciting, reduced contest. England recover from their initial poor start thanks to Jonny Bairstow and Harry Brook’s efforts, posting an impressive total of 122-5 in 20 overs; Namibia found themselves struggling against England’s batsmen’s powerful hitting and ended on 75-9 with Rudi van Vuuren and Jan-Berrie Burger as key figures.
Namibia and England have only met once before at a full international tournament: during the 2003 World Cup in South Africa. England were considered pre-tournament favourites and this match would prove difficult for underdog Namibia.
At the end, England thrashed Namibia with ease, compiling an astounding 191-5 in their 50 overs total and only managing to score 96 runs in reply. A match that would prove too much for them.
Starting off the match, players take their places for national anthems and begin warming up on their respective pitches. Jos Buttler and Phil Salt take up positions in the middle for England while Michael van Lingen and Niko Davin represent Namibia. Reece Topley and Sam Curran provide two changes for England by replacing Mark Wood and Will Jacks respectively.
As both teams fight to make it into the Super 8 stage, this match is of vital importance. England can only reach the last eight if they win this game and Richie Berrington’s Scotland lose later that day; Namibia, on the other hand, require an outstanding performance to give themselves any hope of reaching that stage.
The Pre-Match Formalities
Before any match begins, teams convene a Pre-Match Meeting that includes all stakeholders. Led by the Match Commissioner, this gathering helps the organisation run smoothly throughout its event – it must occur three hours prior to kick-off and last no longer than 30 minutes.
England have made significant strides toward qualifying for the Super Eight stage after producing an almost perfect display against Oman on Tuesday. Moeen Ali, Jack Brook and Jos Buttler all shone brilliantly while Adil Rashid and Joe Root provided extra bowling options.
Buttler was in superb form again and may well have played his last World Cup qualifier before going international. Phil Salt, Reinhardt Erichsen and David Wiese will need to put forth their best effort if Namibia are going to beat England and make qualification possible.
Rain delayed this game’s start for quite some time before eventually being reduced to 10-overs per side. England made 122 in their innings but were never threatened even with Michael van Lingen and Niko Davin both falling. A stunning innings from Harry Brook led England past their target of 126 with ease.
England have made two changes for their semi-final match with Australia with Sam Curran and Chris Jordan replacing Will Jacks and Mark Wood respectively. England need outstanding innings from their batsmen if they want to reach the semis; Jos Buttler in particular should aim to start his campaign off strongly.
The First Over
Now, all teams have taken their positions on the field and await national anthems, starting with England’s and then Namibia’s.
Reece Topley is bowling an entertaining opening over, which has caused Michael van Lingen and Niko Davin of Namibia’s opening pair Michael van Lingen and Niko Davin to score singles off his first few balls but Topley is keeping their scoring to a minimum.
Jofra Archer steps in for England’s second over, and their attack quickly gains momentum. Archer bowls full and on middle, which allows Jos Buttler an opportunity to hit over the keeper but his shot hits an edge before rolling to third man for an early run-out.
Namibia’s hopes for a comeback appear slim, so in order to have any chance at making the semifinals they need David Wiese to perform heroics if they hope of making any impactful runs at this tournament. His performances so far haven’t been great but an upturn could provide one final opportunity before retiring from international cricket altogether.
As soon as the rain stops, play resumes with Namibia attempting to achieve their revised target of 126 against England’s bowlers – Topley restricts scoring while Namibia struggle against their quality counterparts; Jonny Bairstow and Harry Brook make an impression but Namibia are struggling with keeping up with England’s run-rate.
The Second Over
This match was an intriguing contrast of styles. England boasted an extensive cricket heritage while Namibia was emerging as an underdog story in cricket – which played out on the pitch today.
Jofra Archer, Moeen Ali, Jack Brook and Jonathan Bairstow proved too powerful for Namibian batsmen to contend with, although Namibia’s youngsters showed more determination and resilience than usual which was good sign.
England opened their tournament with a loss against Oman but have won two out of their next three matches to put themselves back into contention for inclusion in the Super 12. A win against Namibia would ensure they continue on their path towards making it into the last eight.
Michael van Lingen and Niko Davin of Namibia struck early boundaries, but England’s bowlers managed to restrict the scoring while keeping up the required run rate.
The second over was of critical importance for both sides, as both teams needed to keep pace with the required run rate. Jos Buttler and Phil Salt had the difficult task of holding off any potential threats from Jos Buttler; with Buttler excelling.
Reece Topley begins the over by bowling his first no-ball to Michael van Lingen, before cramping Davin on off stump and forcing both batsmen into edges that go directly to the keeper. Topley appears to be using bounce more effectively than swing, giving Namibia some difficulty.
The Final Over
England are hoping to get their World Cup campaign back on track after suffering an upset loss against Australia in their opener, so Jos Buttler will look for his side to gain some form against Namibia at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua.
Due to rain, this match has been reduced to 11 overs a side and England are in complete control of proceedings. Namibian batsmen have struggled against England’s pace attack and that will be of major concern to Namibian coach Gerhard Erasmus.
He will hope that his players can turn things around in the final over. England are poised nicely at 122-1 with one over remaining; however, their batting collapse poses serious concern for them.
Namibia’s middle order has performed admirably despite their top order’s poor showing and could give them a fighting chance against England.
Chris Jordan has proven to be one of the top fast bowlers in this tournament and he’s been in great form so far. Now is an ideal opportunity for them to gain victory against him and prove themselves.
Namibia have an excellent chance of beating England when they meet at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium for Group B action this Saturday at 10:30 IST – it will be shown live on Star Sports.
Below is the team roster for today’s match: Sri Lanka National Cricket Team vs Australian Men’s Cricket Team Timeline
