Namibia qualifies for 2024 T20 World Cup, beats Tanzania by 58 runs in African regional qualifiers
Namibia Qualifies for T20 World Cup (Source: Twitter)
In the 15th match of the ongoing 2024 T20 World Cup Africa region qualifiers, Namibia beat Tanzania to qualify for the upcoming tournament. In a crucial match, Namibia thrashed Tanzania by 58 runs and qualified for the marquee event. They booked one of the two spots from the region, as this was their fifth consecutive victory.
They have thrashed Zimbabwe, Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, and Tanzania in the tournament and are sitting atop the table. Earlier, in the game, Tanzania won the toss and opted to field first. The Namibian opening pair added 37 runs for the first wicket in 4.1 overs and set the stage for others. followed by a crucial 25-ball, 40-run knock by JJ Smit. Namibia posted a competitive total of 157/6 in 20 overs. For Tanzania, Akhil Anil and Yalinde took two wickets each.
In response, the Tanzanian batting line-up failed to put up a show. The team lost two wickets within Powerplay as opener Ivan Selemani and Abhik Patwa were dismissed by David Wiese (one run out). Despite a 45-ball 41-run knock from Amal Rajeevan, Tanzania fell 58 runs short of the target. For Namibia, Gerhard Erasmus took two wickets while conceding 17 runs in four overs.
Can Namibia do wonders in the T20 World Cup 2024?
It’s worth noting that this will be Namibia’s third consecutive appearance in the prestigious tournament. They qualified for the Super 12 in 2021 after finishing the second group stage. However, they fell well short in the following edition. This year, the team would look to continue their dominance at the biggest stage of the game.
As Namibia rejoices in securing their qualification, the battle for the last spot remains fierce. Uganda and Kenya are in charge of their fate, having a direct influence on their qualifications. On the other hand, Zimbabwe and Nigeria’s chances hinge on outcomes in other matches going in their favour.
