A Player-of-the-Match performance from David Wiese enabled Namibia to hold their nerve in a low-scoring contest and clinch a Super Over win against Oman in the ICC Men’s Twenty20 World Cup on Sunday in Barbados.
The 39-year-old, South Africa-born all-rounder smashed 13 not out and enabled the Namibians to score 21 without loss in the Super Over before he returned with the ball and restricted the Omanis to 10 for one in reply in their Group B match under the lights at Kensington Oval.
“I definitely aged a couple of years tonight,” he said. “And I don’t have a lot of years left in me. It was emotionally draining.
“It helped that I had a feel of the game and knew if I get a few hits out in the Super Over … then with the ball, felt like taking the ball and executing. The pitch was difficult and didn’t play the way we thought. But we adapted well.”
Namibia appeared to be holding all the aces
The match went into overtime after the African side botched what appeared to be a straightforward run chase of 110 when they entered the final over requiring only five to win, and Oman pacer Mehran Khan grabbed two wickets and conceded only four.
Namibia appeared to be holding all the aces when left-arm pacer Ruben Trumpelmann and Wiese shared seven wickets – and Oman were bowled out for 109 in 19.4 overs after they were put in to bat on an easy-paced surface.
Trumpelmann ended with four for 21 from his allotted four overs – including taking the wickets of opener Kashyap Prajapati and Oman captain Aqib Ilyas lbw for ducks with the first two balls of the match – and Wiese supported with three for 28 from 3.4 overs.
60 for four at the halfway stage
Oman laboured to 36 for three at the end of the Power Play and were reeling on 60 for four at the halfway stage, but Khalil Kail hit the top score of 34 and Zeeshan Maqsood made 22, and the Gulf side crawled past 100.
Disciplined bowling from Oman, led by a stunning spell from Khan, defied a top score of 45 from left-hander Jan Frylinck and 24 from opener Nikolaas Davin, and the Gulf side fought back in the closing stages to tie the match.
Khan ended with three for seven off three overs, but he was surprisingly not chosen to bowl the Super Over, and fellow pacer Bilal Khan was given the ball, and the Namibians creamed his bowling to set up the win.
“I think Bilal is one of the best bowlers you can have at this level,” Aqib said. “But there are days where you plan, and it doesn’t execute. He was clear, we were clear, but maybe the ball was wet, and he couldn’t execute.”
