Welcome to Sportstar's Highlights of the T20 World Cup 2021 match between Namibia and New Zealand from the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in Sharjah.
We now head to Dubai where India takes on Scotland in a must-win game. Click here for the live score, updates, commentary and highlights.
New Zealand beat Namibia by 52 runs
Player of the match: James Neesham 35* (23) & 1/6 (1)
MATCH RECAP
New Zealand breezed past Namibia with a 52-run win riding on a clinical performance by the bowlers after lusty cameos lower down the order powered it to a challenging total of 163.
Namibia's chase was off to a promising start as openers Stephan Baard and Michael van Lingen put on a 47-run stand. However, after James Neesham got the first breakthrough of van Lingen, spinners Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi put a stranglehold on the scoring rate in the middle overs before the Namibian batting line-up crumbled to Tim Southee and Trent Boult in death overs as the scoring rate shot through the roof.
New Zealand wasn't off to the best of starts after being put in to bat. Openers Martin Guptill and Daryl Mitchell were sent back with 43 on the board before Kane Williamson and Devon Conway's wickets added to the Kiwis' woes to leave them reeling at 87 for four in 14 overs. Glenn Phillips and James Neesham then joined to blast 67 runs off the last four overs to take New Zealand to 163 that eventually proved too much for Namibia on a Sharjah pitch that kept low and slow.
FULL REPORT:New Zealand on track for T20WC semis after win over Namibia
Namibia innings
NAM 111/7 in 20 overs: Milne bowls the last over of the match. Slower one in the channel beats Trumpelmann. FOUR! Pitched up and Trumpelmann gets under it and smashes it over mid-off. Gets one at long-on with a mistimed slog. Slower one and short and Smith misses the pull. Squirted straight to point. Slower bouncer and beaten again. NZ strolls to a 52-run win eventually. Clinical bowling!
NAM 106/7 in 19 overs: Boult to bowl out. OUT! Slower bouncer outside off and Loftie-Eaton backs away on leg to slap it over mid-off but doesn't get enough air on it. Hands it straight to Guptill. JanNicol Loftie-Eaton c Martin Guptill b Trent Boult 0(2b 0x4 0x6).OUT ! The new man Craig Williams falls for a duck. Full on the legs and Williams looked to launch it on leg side but found the outside edge that looped to backward point. Craig Williams c Glenn Phillips b Trent Boult 0(2b 0x4 0x6).
NAM 102/5 in 18 overs: Southee bowls out. FOUR! Southee gets predictable with the outside off line and Green drags this one to the long-on boundary. OUT! Looks to play the same shot but finds the fielder this time. Zane Green c Trent Boult b Tim Southee 23(27b 1x4 1x6).
NAM 96/4 in 17 overs: Boult to bowl his third over. Smit guides it late to backward point for a couple. Smit jams his bat into the ground to steer a full one outside off for a single at cover. Cramps Green for room by yorking him as he looks to make room on the off. Namibia has however ensured that New Zealand cannot surpass Afghanistan's NRR after the inevitable win today.
NAM 92/4 in 16 overs: Milne comes in. Green takes one at backward point. A ripper! Jags back in to Smit and keeps low to beat him. Misses off stump by a whisker. FOUR! Full around off and Smit carved it over cover to the boundary. Slower one down leg and whipped away for one.
NAM 86/4 in 15 overs: Southee with the ball. Green edges it to third for one. OUT! Wiese is trapped in front. Pitched just outside off and nipped into his pad. That would have been clipping leg and Wiese doesn't review. LBW appeal against Smit turned down and Williamson reviews. Smit had an inside edge on it and NZ loses the review. David Wiese lbw b Tim Southee 16(17b 1x4 1x6).
NAM 85/3 in 14 overs: SIX! Wiese smashes Sodhi over long-on. Too straight and too full and muscles it. Fuller on the legs next ball and Wiese misses the flick. Pulls a short one away for a single a mid wicket. SIX! Outside off and full and gloriously slog swept over square leg. Clubbed to long-on for a single and he keeps Green keeps strike.
NAM 70/3 in 13 overs: Santner bowls out. Just two from the over and the pressure piles up. Keeps it outside off and skids it on to keep the batters guessing.
NAM 68/3 in 12 overs: Sodhi continues. Wiese steps out and smashes it straight to Sodhi and it bounces off his forehead on the full. Ouch! That would have hurt and the physios are out to check on him. Wide ball. Punched through cover for a single. Five from it. One of the easier overs of spin for NAM today. Sodhi kept it a little too short and the batters rocked back to nudge it around.
NAM 63/3 in 11 overs: Santner continues. FOUR! Very full and Wiese swings to smash it straight but it flies off the outside edge past the keeper to a vacant third.
NAM 56/3 in 10 overs: Sodhi joins Santner for spin from both ends. OUT! Sodhi removes the skipper. Keeps low and skids through and takes Erasmus' bottom edge as Conway completes a sharp catch behind. Googly first ball to Wiese. Wiese gets off the mark with a pull to deep backward square leg for one. Gerhard Erasmus c Devon Conway b Ish Sodhi 3(4b 0x4 0x6).
NAM 54/2 in 9 overs: OUT! Santner cleans up Baard first ball of the over. Both openers are back in the hut. Green is greeted with a sharp one that turns in and thuds onto his back pad. Just three singles from it and the momentum has now truly shifted towards NZ. Stephan Baard b Mitchell Santner 21(22b 2x4 0x6).
NAM 51/1 in 8 overs: Neesham with the ball. Cut away by Lingen to deep point for a couple. OUT! Through the gate. Lingen cleaned up! Good length and it skidded through Lingen's on drive. That's 150 T20 wickets for Neesham! Skipper Erasmus is the new man. Clips it off his pads for a single to get off the mark. Baard and Erasmus deal in singles. Michael van Lingen b James Neesham 25(25b 2x4 1x6).
NAM 45/0 in 7 overs: Santner to bowl the first over of spin. Lingen steps out to dig out one at deep extra cover. Skilful sweep by Baard outside off; uses Santner's pace to run it fine for a three. FOUR! Lucky boundary. Lingen stepped out to flick it on leg and found the inside edge that trickled to the fine leg boundary.
NAM 36/0 in 6 overs: Milne to bowl the last over of the Powerplay. A tentative dab by Baard and almost played it on to his stumps. FOUR! Lingen drives exuberantly over his partner's head to find the boundary at long-off. SIX! In the slot and slogged over long on all the way. Pulled to square leg for one.
NAM 24/0 in 5 overs: Half-volley outside off by Boult; Baard drives for one as mid on slides to cut it off. Pulled clumsily and just one to short fine. FOUR! In the slot and picked it up over mid wicket. Boult responds with a bouncer and Baard ducks with ease. A single to end the over.
NAM 17/0 in 4 overs: Southee comes back. Lingen takes one in the cover region. Slower one beats Baard next ball; it keeps low. Pulled away to deep square leg for one. Lingen pulls and almost slices it onto his stumps off the bottom edge. Good length outside off and beats him on the front foot drive. Punched straight to cover again and just two runs from it.
NAM 15/0 in 3 overs: Milne bowls the third over. Textbook straight drive by Baard for a couple. Cuts late with open face for a single at short third. Namibia's physio is on the field and looks like Lingen has an issue after that last ball from Boult stung him. He seems fine and continues. Cuts straight to point for two dot balls. Drags one from outside off for a single at mid on. Baard taps it back straight to end the over.
NAM 11/0 in 2 overs: Boult from the other end. Flicked off the backfoot by Lingen for one. NZ needs to restrict Namibia to 94 to go past Afghanistan's NRR. Just four from it. Lingen misses the pull last ball and it agonisingly thuds into his hip bone.
NAM 6/0 in 1 over: Southee to Baard. Arrow straight and firmly defended. Little bit of in-swing and Baard nudges it to mid-on for a single and Namibia is off the mark. Southee over the wicket to left-handed Lingen. Short and Lingen misses the late cut. Lingen is off the mark with a slash past cover. FOUR! Edged and flies past an empty slip cordon to the third boundary. Jagged in and Baard got a thick outside edge on the cover drive.
BACK WITH THE CHASE
New Zealand innings
NZ 163/4 in 20 overs: Smit bowls the last over. Starts off with a dot. Keeps it outside off and outside the hitting arc. SIX! Short and pulled over square leg to the shorter boundary. Slapped to mid wicket and a fumble will allow a couple. Wide! Just pitched on the guide line and Smit isn't happy with the call. Wide again and just over the line again. Sharp yorker this time and Neesham gets his toe end of the bat down in time to steal a single. Full again and Phillips ploughs it to deep mid wicket for a brace. Last ball coming up. Phillips completely turns around for the switch hit and misses the bouncer. They steal a single again and called wide! Another wide outside off and this over is stretching into eternity. This would have been a wide too but Neesham decided to launch it over point but got just two from it.
NZ 145/4 in 19 overs: Trumpelmann bowls out. FOUR! Good length outside off and Phillips swats it to the square leg boundary. SIX! Pulls the short one over the square leg boundary. Single to long-on. Neesham is beaten again on the slower one in the channel. Muscles this one but no timing on it. Gets a brace at square leg. Single to end the over and Neesham will keep strike for the last over.
NZ 131/4 in 18 overs: Wiese continues. Good length into the stumps to Phillips and he digs it out for a couple at mid wicket. Another couple at deep mid wicket with a flick on the yorker. SIX! A rare loose ball. Wide and full outside off and Phillips shovels it over extra cover. He gets off strike with a single to mid wicket. SIX! In the slot and Neesham dispatches it over long-on and holds the pose vainly. FOUR! Opens the face and runs it down third with a late dab.
NZ 110/4 in 17 overs: Erasmus bowls out. SIX! A freebie by the captain to Phillips. Full-toss and bludgeoned over mid wicket. That's the 100 for NZ. Neesham steps out and tonks it over extra cover but doesn't get the distance as long-off parries it back in time to keep it to two runs. Finally a good over for NZ.
NZ 96/4 in 16 overs: Wiese comes back into the attack. Pace off and outside off and beats Neesham consistently. One skids on and keeps low to just miss the off stump. Pulled away nicely by Phillips but another great piece of fielding keeps it to two runs.
NZ 91/4 in 15 overs: Erasmus continues. Another tight over by the skipper. Keeps his length between good and full and on the stumps. The batters have little pace to work with.
NZ 87/4 in 14 overs: Birkenstock continues. Phillips shuffles across and dabs it to square leg for one. Conway punches too straight and hits the stumps at the other end...just one. Another single for Phillips. Slower one outside off and Conway misses trying to slash it past point. OUT! Conway falls short of his crease. Looked to squeeze a couple with a flick to mid wicket. Devon Conway run out (Erasmus/Birkenstock) 17(18b 1x4 0x6).
NZ 82/3 in 13 overs: OUT! Williamson chops it on and Erasmus gets his counterpart. Wide outside off and Williamson tried to drag it on the leg and got the bottom edge that took his leg stump. Phillips comes in and misses the swing first ball before leaving one outside off...Test match stuff. Drives straight to cover. Single to end the over. Kane Williamson b Gerhard Erasmus 28(25b 2x4 1x6).
NZ 81/2 in 12 overs: Birkenstock into the attack and it's his WC debut. Beats Conway first ball with a slower one in the channel.
NZ 77/2 in 11 overs: Loftie-Eaton bowls his second over of the day. Conway sweeps in front of the stumps for just one. Williamson steps out to smack it too straight and Loftie-Eaton almost gets a hand to it to run Conway out on the other end. SIX! Too full and Williamson gets low to slog sweep it over mid wicket. FOUR! Steps out to spank it down the ground; the bowler might just have got a hand on it. The skipper looks to be shifting gears!
NZ 62/2 in 10 overs: Skipper Erasmus rolls his arm over. Another good over of spin to keep it down to three singles. Conway misses out on a full-toss, sweeping it to square leg for just one. This is a really good start by Namibia to keep the Kiwis to 62 in the first 10 overs.
NZ 59/2 in 9 overs: Scholtz bowls his third. Good discipline by Scholtz. Keeps it on the stumps and skids it into the right-hander while tossing it up slightly to Conway.
NZ 55/2 in 8 overs: Loftie-Eaton to bowl his leg spin. Pitched up and FOUR! Conway Belted down the ground and it is too straight over the fielders in the deep to cut. Conway played a similar shot on the previous delivery that was cut off by long-off for a couple. Nine from the over.
NZ 46/2 in 7 overs: Scholtz comes back. OUT! Mitchell perishes. Skied it very high trying to slog it over deep extra cover. Daryl Mitchell c Michael van Lingen b Bernard Scholtz 19(15b 2x4 0x6). Conway comes in at number four. Just three singles from the over.
NZ 43/1 in 6 overs: Trumpelmann to bowl his second. He pitches it full consistently around off-stump and keeps it to two singles off the first four balls. FOUR! Goes full and straight this time and Mitchell flicks it behind deftly to the fine leg rope.
NZ 36/1 in 5 overs: OUT! Guptill holes out. Soft dismissal. Guptill looked to chip it over mid-off with a drive but didn't find the elevation and straigh down the throat of the fielder. Martin Guptill c Ruben Trumpelmann b David Wiese 18(18b 1x4 1x6). Williamson is away with a single to cover. Mitchell returns strike with a push to long-on for one. FOUR! Williamson dabs a good length past backward point.
NZ 30/0 in 4 overs: Another bowling change and it is Smit with the ball. Pulled away by Guptill but he finds deep mid wicket who keep it to two. Guptill drives hard in the air and mid-off does well to get a hand to it to keep it down to a single. Calling it a dropped chance would be unfair as that was struck very hard and was very wide of Williams. FOUR! Mitchell chips it over mid-on to the boundary. A brace to end the over.
NZ 21/0 in 3 overs: Wiese into the attack. Mitchell times his cut beautifully between cover-point for three. Batters nudge around to collect five singles as Wiese bowls a good length on the stumps, not allowing them to free their arms. Gets a good hand on a straight smash by Mitchell and almost runs Guptill out on the non-striker's end.
NZ 13/0 in 2 overs: Trumpelmann runs in from the other end with the new ball. Outside off,shaped away and Guptill leaves. Fuller and closer to the stumps and beats Guptill. FOUR! Punches flat through mid-on. Backed away slightly to leg to smash it on the off side. It keeps low in the channel and beats Guptill on the last ball. Good comeback by Trumpelmann after that cracking four.
NZ 9/0 in 1 over: A single on the first ball with a front-foot nudge to mid-on. Mitchell pushes to long-off for one more next ball. Guptill drives straight to the bowler. SIX! In the slot and Guptill cuts loose. Straight over the bowler's head. Taps it back to Scholtz next ball. Single to long-off to end the over.
Guptill takes his guard at the striker's end and left-arm orthodox spinner Scholtz has the ball. Both teams take the knee united against racism.
The teams make their way onto the field for the national anthems. It is hot and humid in Sharjah and New Zealand will hope Martin Guptill is well-hydrated after he was struggling in the previous match against Scotland.
Namibia Playing XI: Stephen Baard, Michael van Lingen, Craig Williams, Gerhard Erasmus (c), David Wiese, JJ Smit, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Zane Green (wk), Karl Birkenstock, Ruben Trumpelmann, Bernard Scholtz
New Zealand Playing XI: Martin Guptill, Daryl Mitchell, Kane Williamson (c), Devon Conway (wk), Glenn Phillips, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Adam Milne, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult
Two changes for Namibia. Jan Frylinck and Ben Shikongo make way for Karl Birkenstock and Bernard Scholtz. New Zealand is unchanged from its win against Scotland.
PITCH REPORT: It is the third match on this wicket and all three matches have been high-scoring in the context of the tournament. It is expected to keep low and slow and assist spinners.
Stay tuned for the Toss and Playing XI at 3:00 PM IST.
Sharjah in T20 World Cup 2021:
Batting first won: 3
Batting second won: 5
Average first innings score: 139
Average first innings winning score: 165
The Black Caps are not going to make light of Namibia today as Mitchell Santner reckons "an upset is just around the corner in T20 cricket".
A clash of firsts
New Zealand and Namibia will lock horns for the first time in international cricket.
The game will have a huge bearing on India's semifinal qualification prospects. Read more about how things need to pan out for Kohli's men to sneak into the last four.
ALSO READ:T20 World Cup 2021 India vs Scotland: Of calculations, net run rate and slender chance
MATCH PREVIEW
New Zealand will look to inch closer to the semifinals by beating Namibia here on Friday.
While Namibia lost its last encounter to Pakistan, New Zealand recorded two successive victories, defeating India by eight wickets and then edging past Scotland. The Kiwis are currently placed third with four points and a win against Namibia will take them closer to the second semifinal spot from Group 2.
Despite a fine performance against India, New Zealand’s bowling has been patchy overall.
RELATED : We were tested by Scotland, need to learn from this: Williamson
The likes of left-arm speedster Trent Boult, the experienced Tim Southee and Adam Milne will be eyeing a much-better show against Namibia after an ordinary outing against Scotland, while the spin duo of Ish Sodhi and Mitchell Santner will look to spin their web on the opposition.
“We were patchy with the ball but we need to move on. Credit to Scotland for the way they played and hit the ball out of the park. We were tested and we need to learn from this,” captain Williamson said after the 16-run win against Scotland.
The biggest positive for the Kiwis is the return to form of flamboyant opener Martin Guptill, who blazed his way to 93 off just 56 balls. He will need more support from opening partner Daryl Mitchell and Williamson.
Placed fifth with just two points, Namibia, other other hand, has nothing to lose. Namibia gave a spirited fight against Pakistan and will be looking for an encore. Namibia batters have got starts but they will need to convert them into big scores if the minnow.
Namibia is heavily reliant on David Wiese but others also need to chip in.
(-PTI)
Where and when to watch T20 World Cup 2021 - Namibia vs New Zealand Live?
Comments
SHARE