Canada clinch log points in Super Over thriller

Cricket
The rain-affected match initially finished in a tie, before the tourists won the Super Over.
Andrew Poolman
Some of the fighting spirit that fans of the Namibia’s Richelieu Eagles have been desperately longing to see in recent months, went unrewarded on Sunday as the host team remain winless in their quest to add vital log points in the current ICC Cricket World Cup League Two triangular tournament in Windhoek.

In a tense and dramatic finish of a match shortened by time lost due to a wet outfield from overnight rain showers, the Eagles and Canada played to a tie (DLS method) before the North Americans clinched the winning points in a Super Over in the third ODI of the current mini-series.

Canada’s innings (167/8 in 39 overs) was adapted to set the Namibian target of 175 in 39 overs (DLS method) after some earlier delays at Wanderers field.

Niko Davin (19 off 19 balls, 1x4 1x6) did well until he was undone by Parveen Kumar’s spin bowling. Gerhard Erasmus played his most prolific innings of this series so far (41 off 56 balls, 1x4 2x6), but momentum was stifled with wickets every time Nicol Loftie-Eaton (15), JJ Smit (14), Malan Kruger (20), Ruben Trumpelman (5) or Shaun Fouché (11) looked to assert themselves.

The Eagles last batting pair Dylan Leicher and Bernard Scholtz needed 12 off 12 balls, and then 7 off 6 balls and then 1 off 2 balls. Unfortunately, Leicher (run out off the last ball, for 20 runs off 24 balls; 2x4) and Scholtz (5* off 4 balls) could only bring the hosts level with the par score set by DLS.

In the Super Over, neither JJ Smit and Gerhard Erasmus could score runs off the bat, before both were also caught out. Namibia could only muster three runs through Trumpelman (1), a bye and a leg bye, but Canada captain Nicholas Kirton (1 run) and Pargat Singh (a two and a four) easily knocked off the winning runs.

Canada opening batsman Navneet Dhaliwal was named player of the match for his crucial innings of 54 runs off 84 balls.

Shaun Fouché, brought into the Namibian eleven as an all-rounder, took 3/37 in 8 overs of seam bowling, providing good support to the typically tidy work of spin bowler Bernard Scholtz (3/26 in 9 overs). Erasmus (1/24 in 5) and Trumpelmann (0/7 in 6 overs) were also economical.



Netherlands take first win

After the Netherlands’ opener against Canada rained out completely last week, the Europeans earned two points by beating Namibia convincingly by 53 runs on Friday.

The Dutch were cruising initially thank to openers Vikramjit Singh (37 off 63 balls) and Max O’Dowd (43 off 58), but Nicol Loftie-Eaton’s dismissal of Singh sparked a collapse.

Bernard Scholtz (4/15 in 8 overs) masterfully ripped through their batting order, supported by JJ Smit (2/16 in 8) as Netherlands dropped from 84/0 to 99/6 and 124/7. However, player of the match Teja Nidamanuru’s composed 47 from 54 balls (1x4 3x6), batting at number seven, ultimately proved crucial getting them to 159 all out in 39.1 overs.

In Namibia’s reply, the batting effort fell well short of the target, with the Dutch bowlers Aryan Dutt (3/28 in 7 overs), Zach Lion-Cachet (3/15 in 4) and Kyle Klein (2/22 in 5) making the breakthroughs that prevented the hosts from delivering any meaningful partnership.

Only Erasmus (31 off 39) and Trumpelmann (25 off 38 balls) showed glimpses of promise, but the lack of runs from the top order proved crucial.



This week at Wanderers

Today: Netherlands v Canada (09:30).

Thursday: Namibia v Netherlands (09:30).

Saturday: Namibia v Canada (09:30).

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