Namibia send champs packing
Defending champions South Africa were eliminated yesterday after going down to Namibia in the biggest upset of the ICC Under-19 World Cup at the Academy Ground of the Sheikh Kamal International Stadium in Cox's Bazar yesterday. While the South Africans did look a little edgy during their first game against hosts Bangladesh, not many expected them to go down to their African neighbours, who maintained their position at the top of Group A.
The match ended in tense circumstances, but in the end Namibia's unheralded cricketers kept their cool and overcame the giants. Their only previous victory over a full member side was their 2002 victory over Sri Lanka.
Choosing to bat first, South Africa were reduced to 60 for eight by the half-way stage following a four-wicket haul by Michael van Lingen. But Willem Ludick hit 42 in a ninth-wicket stand of 55 with Lutho Sipamla as the young Proteas added a further 76 runs.
Defending a modest 136 for nine in 50 overs, South Africa claimed a wicket off the first ball and continued to dismiss batsmen regularly, but Lohan Louwrens stood in the way as he steered Namibia home with an unbeaten 58.
The memorable win meant that Namibia, which finished 14th in the United Arab Emirates two years ago, will improve upon their best finish of 11th in Malaysia in 2008.Namibia's captain Zane Green said he was delighted with the win and that he was not surprised that his team had reached the quarterfinals.
“We were positive from the start of the tournament because we knew we had the team to go far,” said Green. “Our aim was to take it one game at a time and that is what we will continue to do.We want to take the positive energy from this game into our next match against Bangladesh and then take it from there.”
At the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittqagong, England brushed aside Zimbabwe by 129 runs to top Group C with a third successive win. The West Indies romped to a 262-run win over Fiji in the other Group C match at the MA Aziz Stadium in Chittagong.
England, who had scored 371 for three against Fiji in the first match, once again showed their batting prowess to pile up 288 for four after electing to bat against Zimbabwe.
Durham's Jack Burnham hit an unbeaten 106, his second hundred in three matches, opener Dan Lawrence made 59 and Max Holden hit 51.
Zimbabwe were dismissed for 159 despite a heroic 91 from Jeremy Ives as Saqib Mahmood claimed four wickets for 39 runs and Callum Taylor took three for 14.
Shamar Springer became the third century-maker of the day, scoring 106 to lift the West Indies to 340 for seven against first-timers Fiji, who were dismissed for 78 in reply.
SCORES IN BRIEF
WEST INDIES: 340 for 7 (Springer 106, Pope 76, Goolie 66; Tikoisuva 6-59)
FIJI: 78 all out in 27.3 overs (Pope 4-24)
Result: West Indies won by 262 runs
ENGLAND: 288 for 4 (Burnham 106 not out, Lawrence 59, Holden 51; Magarira 2-36)
ZIMBABWE: 159 all out in 43.4 overs (Ives 91; Saqib 4-39, Taylor 3-14)
Result: England won by 129 runs
SOUTH AFRICA: 136 for 9 (Ludick 42; Van Lingen 4-24, Fritz Coetzee 3-16)
NAMIBIA: 137 for eight in 39.4 overs (Louwrens 58 not out; Abrahams 2-18, Whitehead 2-27)
Result: Namibia won by two wickets
Comments