Sports
Namibia stun South Africa in historic first meeting
Namibia made history in more ways than one in the one-off T20I as they inaugurated the new Namibia Cricket ground , played their neighbours South Africa for the first time in any international format, and then beat them in a thriller for good measure.
The upset came against a patchwork South Africa side, with most of the first-choice T20I players currently in Pakistan, where they will play a Test starting tomorrow. But Namibia won’t care what kind of South Africa team they earned their first win against. They celebrated in front of a 4000-capacity crowd at the NCG (you read that right), complete with a lap of honour. South Africa are the fourth Full Member to be defeated by Namibia, after Zimbabwe, Ireland and Sri Lanka.
On a slow surface and sluggish outfield, batting was tricky for both sides and Namibia had South Africa in trouble at 82 for 6 in the 13th over thanks largely to good catching. South Africa left it late to string partnerships together and their most profitable stand was 37 off 35 balls for the seventh wicket between Jason Smith and Bjorn Fortuin. Smith was the highest scorer with 31.
Similarly, Namibia’s innings started badly and they were 84 for 5 in the 13th over. In what was close to an exact mirroring of South Africa’s batting, their seventh-wicket pair put on 37 but off just 21 balls. Zane Green’s unbeaten 30 off 23 balls on his birthday sealed the win.
The stage was set for one of the most highly anticipated returns in the global game when Donovan Ferreira won the toss and chose to bat with Quinton de Kock carded at No. 1. But his return was short lived. Namibia’s captain Gerhard Erasmus opened the bowling and de Kock brought out the pull first up. He got a single to midwicket, then missed one that went down leg, and then tried to smash it over square leg but miscued to Ruben Trumpelmann, who took a simple catch to end de Kock’s stay at the crease in the opening over. De Kock also returned behind the stumps and took the only chance he had, but it was off a no-ball in the first over of the Namibian chase.
Trumpelmann’s catch didn’t require much more than being in the right place, but he created more difficult opportunities that his team-mates took. In his first over, Reeza Hendricks tried to hit him over deep square but Malan Kruger sprinted in from the rope to take a tumbling catch and remove Hendricks for 7. By his second over, Rubin Hermann, who looked in good touch for his 23, was rushed by extra bounce as he tried to hit Trumpelmann over deep midwicket. Ben Shikongo claimed a good low catch to give Trumpelmann a second.
Debutant Max Heingo had Lhuan-dre Pretorius caught behind off the glove and Ferreira at midwicket before Shikongo was rewarded by smart bowling and smarter hands. He followed Andile Simelane as he backed away to clear mid-off and sent the ball high. Erasmus got the skates on again and took a stunning catch to his left to leave South Africa 82 for 6.
Smith and Fortuin steadied things but with only one boundary in 30 balls between the 13th and 18th overs, had to try and force things. Smith tried to hit Heingo over long-on and should have been caught by Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton but he put it down. In the next over, Smith tried to clear him at long-off but again, didn’t have the distance, and JJ Smit took a simple catch.
Later in the over, Fortuin offered Smit a similar chance but he shelled it. Namibia finished things off with another catch as Gerald Coetzee tried to go big but found Louren Steenkamp at deep third.
Coetzee was brought on first change and made an early impact. He started off too straight and was flicked for four but quickly adjusted his length to Lourens Steenkamp and even surprised him with a bouncer before bowling him. Namibia were 28 for 2 after three overs.
But then things started to go wrong for Coetzee. He started his second over with a wide down leg, then got hit for four by Erasmus, and then bowled three more wides. He had his hands on his hips in frustration and the next ball whizzed past Erasmus but avoided the edge.
Whatever extra effort Coetzee put into that ball seemed to do some damage and he left the field with three balls remaining in the over. Ferreira completed it and in the end it cost 12 runs. A CSA update said the injury was likely of the pectoral muscle.
Namibia stayed in the hunt with contributions from Erasmus (a run-a-ball 21) and Kruger (18 off 21 balls) but South Africa’s attack didn’t let any of them get too far away to set up the perfect finish.
Namibia needed 32 runs off the last three overs with four wickets in hand. They took nine runs off the 18th over, with Trumpelmann getting four off an inside edge, and 12 runs off the 19th, as Green started with a lofted cover drive and then ran hard with three twos in the over.
That left 11 to get off the final over and Simelane was tasked with defending it. His first ball was short, Green got underneath it and sent it over fine leg for six and then took a single. Trumpelmann ran hard for two and then drew scores level. Green sent the last ball – a low full toss – over midwicket for four to complete the win.
Brief scores:
Namibia 138 for 6 in 20 overs (Gerhard Eramus 21, Zane Green 30*; Nandre Burger 2-21, Andile Simelane 2-28) beat South Africa 134 for 8 in 20 overs (Lhuan-dre Pretorius 22, Rubin Hermann 23, Jason Smith 31, Bjorn Fortuin 19*; Ruben Trumpelmann 3-28, Max Heingo 2-32) by four wickets
[Cricinfo]
Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bowl first in the first ODI in Rawalpindi. This will be Sri Lanka’s first bilateral series in Pakistan since 2019, with Pakistan holding an 18-12 win-loss record on home soil.
Charith Asalanka the possibility of dew later on was a driving factor in his decision to bowl first, while Shaheen Shah Afridi said he would also liked to have bowled first adding that he’s expecting a high-scoring game.
In team news, one change for the hosts from the side that won their last ODI against South Africa, with Abrar Ahmed missing out due to illness and Naseem Shah replacing him. Sri Lanka meanwhile have handed out an ODI debut to Kamil Mishara, while Wanindu Hasaranga also comes in. Making way are Janith Liyanage and the injured Dilshan Madushanka.
As mentioned earlier, the pitch at Rawalpindi is expected to be high-scoring, with chasing sides coming out victorious in the past three games; a score in excess of 300 will likely be needed for the side batting first, particularly with dew expected under lights. The over head conditions are bright and warm.
Sri Lanka XI: Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Liyanage, Kamindu Mendis, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, Asitha Fernando
Pakistan XI: Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayu, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Agha, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah
(Cricinfo)
Time was when a tour of Pakistan was something cricketers eagerly looked forward to — a chance to criss cross a country where the warmth of its people matched the spice of its biryani and masala chai. Those were days when cities like Multan, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Sialkot and Karachi rolled out the red carpet for visiting sides. Not this time. For the three-week assignment, Sri Lanka will shuttle only between Lahore and Rawalpindi, missing out on the rest of that cricket-mad nation.
The first of the three ODIs bowls off today in Rawalpindi, barely half an hour’s drive from the capital, Islamabad. The city will also host Sri Lanka’s curtain-raiser in the tri-nation series involving Zimbabwe before the caravan moves to Lahore for the remaining fixtures.
The series is no dead rubber. Both teams have plenty riding on it. Sri Lanka sit pretty at number four in the ICC ODI rankings — a hard-earned position after series triumphs over India and Australia — but any slip-up could see them tumble to fifth, with Pakistan ready to leapfrog them.
Pakistan arrive in buoyant mood, having recently downed South Africa 2-1 in their backyard. Their trump card remains leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed, whose whirring wrist-spin tormented the Lankans during the recent Asia Cup in the UAE. Add to that a fiery pace attack led by skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi and the irrepressible Naseem Shah with the new ball, and the hosts have enough firepower to rattle even the best.
Pakistan’s ‘three-captain’ experiment continues, with Shaheen donning the ODI armband this time. On their day, his seamers can make the white ball talk and if early breakthroughs come, they’ll have the visitors on the back foot before drinks.
Sri Lanka, though, have found their sweet spot in the 50-over game. Pathum Nissanka’s counter-punching at the top of the order has given them the perfect launchpad, while his chemistry with Kusal Mendis has blossomed into the opening pair the island had long yearned for. Captain Charith Asalanka — cool under pressure and clever in the middle overs — has been the glue in the batting line-up, sitting a proud seventh in the global batting charts.
All eyes will also be on young Pavan Rathnayake, prolific in domestic cricket and itching to make his international debut. His inclusion adds fresh legs and youthful verve to a side already brimming with confidence.
In the bowling department, Sri Lanka have been dealt a late blow with left-arm quick Dilshan Madushanka pulling out due to a knee injury. Eshan Malinga has been drafted in as replacement.
Pakistan (from): Shaheen Shah Afridi (C), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Faisal Akram, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub and Salman Ali Agha.
Sri Lanka (from): Charith Asalanka (C), Pathum Nissanka, Lahiru Udara, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Mendis (wk), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Kamindu Mendis, Janith Liyanage, Pavan Rathnayake, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Jeffrey Vandersay, Dushmantha Chameera, Asitha Fernando, Pramod Madushan and Eshan Malinga.
The qualifying rounds of the SLTA Yeti Hard Court Tennis Championships 2025, organised by the Sri Lanka Tennis Association (SLTA) commenced over the weekend. The tournament held across three venues, namely, the Sri Lanka Tennis Association, Gymkhana Club and Ladies’ College will go on till November 23.
This annual event attracts over 900 entries from all corners of the nation, reflecting the growing passion and skill for tennis among Sri Lankan athletes.
The competition will be held on nine hard courts, comprising five courts at the SLTA, two courts at the Ladies’ College and two courts at the Gymkhana Club, ensuring a high-quality environment for players and spectators alike.
The SLTA Yeti Hard Court Tennis Championships will feature a comprehensive range of competitive categories, from Under-12 to Men’s and Women’s events, making it one of the most inclusive tournaments in the country.
Suicide bombing in Islamabad kills 12, says Pakistan’s interior minister
Israel parliament passes first reading of death penalty for ‘terrorism’ law
Cabinet nod to appoint Mrs. Tharani Kumaradasa to the Post of Commissioner of Cooperative Development / Cooperative Society Registrar
Cabinet nod to hold 28th joint Asia Pacific Regional Social Workshop from 18-21 November in Sri Lanka
Establishment of multi-modal transport hubs
Cabinet approves restructuring of the Sri Lanka Housing Development Finance Corporation Bank and the State Mortgage and Investment Bank
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
Sunday Island 27 December – Headlines
#SundayIsland 17th December – Headlines
Sunday Island – 28th March
Sunday Island Headlines – 21 March
Sunday Island – 21st February – Headlines
-
Features6 days agoFavourites for the title of Miss Universe 2025
-
Midweek Review7 days agoFocus on Minister Paulraj’s UK statement
-
News6 days agoDr. Saman Weerasinghe receives Russia’s prestigious Order of Friendship
-
Opinion5 days agoReturning to source with Aga
-
Opinion7 days agoAmid winds and waves: Sri Lanka and the Indian Ocean – III
-
Business5 days agoMiss Universe Sri Lanka 2025 Lihasha Lindsay White departs for Bangkok
-
Features6 days agoVision of Dr. Gamani Corea and the South’s present development policy options
-
Features7 days agoSri Lanka’s Northern Gateway: Economic promise and geopolitical power in the Indian Ocean