Namibia opened the tri-series in Windhoek with a significant 18-run victory over South Africa, successfully defending their total of 163/9. This result comes ten months after their previous last-ball triumph against the Proteas. The win was anchored by Jan Frylinck’s 60-run performance and a combined six-wicket haul from Ruben Trumpelmann and JJ Smit, which proved vital in containing South Africa’s chase.
Batting first, Namibia established a strong platform through an 84-run opening partnership between Frylinck and Louren Steenkamp. Steenkamp contributed 41 off 29 balls before departing, while Frylinck continued his aggressive approach, clearing the ropes twice to reach his fifty before falling for 60 off 38 deliveries. Despite reaching 116/2 after 13 overs with a target of 180 in sight, the innings faltered. Namibia lost four wickets for just 17 runs, including Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Gerhard Erasmus, Zane Green, and JJ Smit, as Prenelan Subrayen’s bowling stifled the middle order. The team eventually managed to reach 163/9.
South Africa’s response began poorly, slipping to 19/2 within four overs and 39/3 after Heingo dismissed de Zorzi. Dewald Brevis led the recovery, surviving a blow to the helmet before launching a counter-attack against the bowling of Scholtz. Brevis and Rubin Hermann rebuilt the innings, with Brevis reaching his half-century with a six over midwicket. Even after Hermann’s departure, Brevis and debutant Duan Jansen kept the visitors in contention at 116/5 after 16 overs and 129/5 after 17.
The match turned in the 18th over when Trumpelmann returned to the attack. After delivering two wide yorkers, he forced a mistake from Brevis, who found the outer half of his bat on a full toss, resulting in a sharp catch by Jack Brassell at short third. With Brevis dismissed for 75, the South African chase collapsed. Erasmus bowled Fortuin in the 19th over, and Smit conceded only nine runs in the final over while claiming two wickets to seal the win. Brief Scores: Namibia 163/9 (Jan Frylinck 60; Prenelan Subrayen 3-32) beat South Africa 145/9 (Dewald Brevis 75; Ruben Trumpelmann 3-24, JJ Smit 3-31) by 18 runs. The report also notes that putting on 84 for the first wicket, with both batters finding the boundary regularly, jan Frylinck and Louren Steenkamp attacked from the start. The report also notes that losing four wickets for 17 runs, namibia went from 116/2 to 133/6. The report also notes that sent in to bat, Namibia looked set for a total that could take the game away from South Africa. The report also notes that but late runs pushed them to 163/9, the innings was in danger of slipping away completely.
