Staff Reporter
NAMIBIA fell agonisingly short of a record chase against South Africa on Friday, losing by 11 runs after a spirited run chase in the final round-robin match of the 2026 T20I Cricket Tri-Series at the Namibia Cricket Ground in Windhoek.
Chasing 229 for victory, Namibia raced to 217 for three from their 20 overs but could not complete the chase, with South Africa securing their place in Sunday’s final against Zimbabwe.
Namibia made a blistering start through openers Jan Frylinck and Louren Steenkamp, who put on 119 runs before Frylinck was dismissed for a superb 72 off 36 balls.
Frylinck struck five sixes and seven fours in an aggressive innings that kept Namibia ahead of the required rate during the early stages of the chase.
Steenkamp continued the assault, reaching his third T20I half-century from 37 balls as Namibia moved beyond 150 with only one wicket down.
The hosts appeared to remain in contention when Steenkamp combined with captain Gerhard Erasmus, but South Africa tightened their bowling in the middle overs and the required rate began to climb.
Steenkamp was eventually forced to retire hurt after taking a couple of blows, leaving Erasmus to carry the chase alongside JJ Smit and Ruben Trumpelmann.
Erasmus kept Namibia’s hopes alive with a six over square leg and later added a four after being dropped, but the hosts needed 45 runs from the final 17 balls.
Smit briefly provided momentum with a six but was dismissed for nine off four balls, caught by Dewald Brevis off Nqobani Mokoena.
Trumpelmann then smashed a six and a fortunate four in the 19th over to bring Namibia to 200, leaving them needing 25 from the final seven balls.
However, Mokoena held his nerve in the final over, conceding only what was required to close out the match. Trumpelmann was dismissed from the final delivery for 21 off 10 balls as Namibia finished on 217 for three.
Erasmus remained unbeaten on 30 off 26 balls.
Earlier, South Africa posted a formidable 228 for four after being sent in to bat, with Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Connor Esterhuizen putting Namibia under pressure from the outset.
Esterhuizen smashed 88 off 40 balls before Jan Balt broke the opening partnership, while Pretorius completed his maiden T20I century with 101 off 53 balls.
Pretorius was dismissed by Erasmus in the final over, but South Africa had already done enough to set Namibia a daunting target of 229.
Balt was Namibia’s most successful bowler with two wickets, while Erasmus and Ruben Trumpelmann took one each.
The result means South Africa will face Zimbabwe in the Tri-Series final on Sunday at the Namibia Cricket Ground in Windhoek, with the hosts’ campaign ending despite a valiant effort in the chase.
Photos: Cricket South Africa
