Zimbabwe – 153-6 in 20 overs (Craig Ervine 54*, Tinashe Kamunhukamwe 32, Innocent Kaia 15; Gerhard Erasmus 2/21, Handre Klazinge 2/35, Jan Frylinck 1/19)
Namibia – 154-3 in 18.4 overs (Michael van Lingen 47, Nikolaas Davin 34, Gerhard Erasmus 31*; Ryan Burl 2/22, Tendai Chatara 1/29)
Namibia won by seven wickets
A fine unbeaten 54 from Zimbabwe captain Craig Ervine showed a welcome return to form, but unfortunately it was not enough to win the four T20 international match in Windhoek on Sunday, as the firepower of Namibia’s opening batters enabled them to reach their victory target of 154 with seven wickets in hand.
Zimbabwe decided to bat on winning the toss and Innocent Kaia gave them a flying start by scoring 10 runs, including two fours, off the first three deliveries, bowled by JJ Smit.
It was a great blow when he was run out in the third over, having scored 15 off only eight balls.
His opening partner, Tinashe Kamunhukamwe, also flourished during the powerplay, and he reached 27 off 18 balls, before he became badly bogged down, and when he was out in the ninth over to Gerhard Erasmus his score was 32 off 32 balls.
Sikandar Raza cannot be expected to succeed every time, and today he was bowled by Erasmus for two, with the score 67 for three in the 11th over.
While Ervine was the backbone of the innings, Ryan Burl briefly did well, scoring 13 off 11 balls, but Ervine was unable to find the stable partner he needed, as Carl Mumba went for eight and Wessly Madhevere for seven.
In the dying overs Faraz Akram did his best with 10 not out off nine balls, including a six, and Ervine was still there at the end with 54 off 43 balls.
The total was 153 for six wickets off 20 overs, no doubt rather less than Zimbabwe had been hoping for.
A great deal depended on whether the Zimbabwe bowlers could contain Namibia’s dangerous opening batters, and it did not begin well for the tourists, as Michael van Lingen cracked three fours off the opening over, bowled by Akram.
Then Nikolaas Davin hit Ainsley Ndlovu for a six and a four, while 13 came off an over from Mumba and another 13 off Raza.
After eight overs the score was 82 without loss, and at this point van Lingen was bowled by Burl for 47, with three sixes and six fours off 27 balls.
With the final delivery of that over Burl also bowled Davin, who made 34 off 25 balls (two sixes, three fours) – 85 for two after nine overs.
The damage had been done, though, as such a batting performance took most of the pressure off the later batters and they were able to cruise fairly comfortably home to victory with eight balls in hand.
Jan Frylinck scored 29 before he was bowled by Tendai Chatara at 139 for three in the 17th over, and Erasmus saw his team home with a good 31 not out off 28 balls.
Burl, the most successful and economical of the bowlers, took his two wickets for 22 runs in his four overs.
The sides now have two victories each and the stage is set for a grand final on Monday.
Ervine fifty in vain as Namibia prevail to set up series decider
