Namibia Beat South Africa By 18 Runs In Windhoek Tri-Series Opener

Namibia beat South Africa by 18 runs in Windhoek on Friday, opening their home T20I tri-series with a win over a full member side. Namibia made 163 for 9. South Africa were held to 145 for 9. Jan Frylinck made 60 from 38 balls.

It was the second T20I between the two countries. Namibia have won both.

Zimbabwe are the third side in the series. South Africa play them next. Namibia are the hosts and play all seven matches at home.

Frylinck and Steenkamp put on 84

Frylinck and Louren Steenkamp opened together and added 84. Steenkamp made 41 from 29 balls. The ICC reported 57 of those runs coming in the powerplay. Namibia lost wickets steadily once the stand broke and finished nine down.

The rest of the card was short:

• Jan Frylinck 60 from 38 balls
• Louren Steenkamp 41 from 29 balls
• Gerhard Erasmus 19
• Alexander Busing-Volschenk 13
• Ruben Trumpelmann 12

The openers made 101 of the 163 between them. Namibia's other nine batters, and the extras column, made 62.

Prenelan Subrayen took 3 for 32. Bjorn Fortuin and Duan Jansen took two wickets each. Nine Namibian wickets fell in all, and the innings still cleared 160.

The chase rests on Brevis

Dewald Brevis made 75 from 50 balls. The next highest score was 25, from Duan Jansen, who finished not out. Jordan Hermann made 7 and Lhuan-dre Pretorius made 9. South Africa lost both openers inside the powerplay.

Brevis made just over half of his side's total. He faced 50 of the 120 balls in the innings. South Africa needed 164 and finished 18 short.

Smit and Trumpelmann take three each

JJ Smit took 3 for 31. Ruben Trumpelmann took 3 for 24. Between them they took six of the nine wickets to fall. Jack Brassell dismissed Jordan Hermann. Max Heingo dismissed Tony de Zorzi.

Smit told the ICC afterwards: "It feels surreal. We beat the Proteas again. Just a really proud moment for Cricket Namibia and Namibia as a whole."

Erasmus, the Namibia captain, told the ICC: "I think this is very important in the sense that it shows that we do belong, and it wasn't a once-off."

Seven matches at one ground

The tri-series runs to 6 September. All seven T20Is are at the Namibia Cricket Ground in Windhoek. Ten days, seven matches, one square. That is a heavy programme for a single set of pitches and one ground staff.

South Africa face Zimbabwe on Saturday. Namibia have now won both of their T20I meetings with South Africa. This one came at home, in front of their own crowd, in the opening match of a series they are hosting.