In a one-sided affair, Australia outclassed Namibia to win their third successive game in the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. The Australian bowlers set the stage, dismissing Namibia for a meagre 72 runs. The 2021 champions then chased down the target in just 5.4 overs. With this win, Australia became the second team, after South Africa, to advance to the next round, while Namibia’s defeat led to their elimination.
Australian captain Mitchell Marsh won the toss and opted to bowl first without hesitation. His bowlers proved it was the right decision. Michael van Lingen started positively for Namibia with a couple of crisp shots. However, their innings unravelled in the third over when Josh Hazlewood induced a false shot from Nikolaas Davin, triggering a collapse. The Namibian batters seemed overwhelmed by the occasion and failed to play the ball on its merit, overly concerned with the reputation of the Australian bowlers.
Hazlewood and Pat Cummins quickly dismantled the top order, removing Jan Frylinck and van Lingen in quick succession. Namibian captain Gerhard Erasmus struggled at the crease, unable to score, and pressure mounted. JJ Smit succumbed to pressure, trapped LBW by Nathan Ellis, leaving Namibia reeling at 18/4.
The Australian bowlers didn’t let the Namibian batters off the hook, with Adam Zampa weaving a web around the lower-middle and lower order. Zampa’s stunning spell of leg-spin resulted in four crucial wickets for just 12 runs, effectively stifling any hope of a Namibian recovery.
At 43/8, it seemed Namibia would be bowled out for under 50, but the Namibia skipper managed to add some respectability to the score with a few powerful hits. His knock of 36 took Namibia to 72 runs.
A target of 72 was never going to challenge the 2021 winners. David Warner signalled his intent early, looking to finish the game quickly. After Warner’s dismissal, Travis Head joined in the assault. Marsh also came out all guns blazing. Ruben Trumplemann faced the brunt in the fifth over, conceding three boundaries. Marsh provided the finishing touches with a couple of fours and a six, sealing the win for Australia with 14.2 overs to spare.
From their decision-making at the toss to sealing the game by a huge margin, Australia once again showed what a professional winning machine they are when it comes to the big events.