Niel Terblanche
NAMIBIA lost their first two group stage matches at the 2019 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier in Dubai after going into the tournament as one of the favourites to win the tournament.
The Namibians lost their opening match against the Netherlands with 44 runs on Saturday.
The men from Holland were scored a 140 runs in the 20 overs and lost six batsmen in the process.
The second innings saw the Namibians only managing 96 runs before the last batsmen were dismissed in the 19th over.
Their second group match against the men from Papua New Guinea did not go much better.
After winning the toss Papua New Guinea opted to bat and managed 197 runs. The Namibians dismissed seven of their batsman.
The Namibian batsmen were all bowled out by after the first delivery in the 7th over. In the process they managed 116 runs.
The Namibian team is currently placed 19th on the ICC Men’s T20I Team Rankings, after Gerhard Erasmus’s team started off winning the 2019 ICC World Cricket League Division Two earlier in April in addition to securing one-day international status for the first time since 2003.
Namibia then lifted the ICC World Twenty20 Africa Region Qualifier Final trophy at home thus making them one of the favourites to make it to the T20 World Cup in Australia next year May.
Namibia will face Scotland for their third match of the tournament on Tuesday.
