As a result, the Proteas fielded a less-than-full-strength team in their T20 encounter against Namibia. However, this does little to excuse their loss in a thrilling last-ball finish.
In the only T20I of the series held at the Namibia Cricket Ground yesterday (Saturday), South Africa batted first and managed 134 runs for 8 wickets. Namibia matched the target with two balls to spare and secured a historic victory with a four off the final ball by Jan Green, winning by 4 wickets.
This defeat marks the fourth time South Africa has lost a T20I to Namibia, joining Ireland, Zimbabwe, and Sri Lanka in experiencing losses to the African nation. It is also South Africa’s second loss to an ICC associate team in this format, having been beaten by the Netherlands by 13 runs in the 2022 T20 World Cup.
Namibia vs South Africa
South Africa’s innings began poorly, losing their first wicket at just 4 runs. Quinton de Kock, returning to T20 internationals after brief retirement, managed only 1 run off 4 balls. Reza Hendricks added 7 runs, but no batter could establish a lasting presence. Rubin Herman scored 23 off 18 balls before retiring, and Luan-Dre Pretorius contributed 22 off 22 balls. Jason Smith was top scorer with 31 runs, supported by Born Fortune’s 19, helping South Africa to 134 all out. Ruben Trumpelman led Namibia’s bowling with 3 wickets, while Max Heino took 2.
Namibia’s chase started shakily with two early wickets falling at 22 and 28 runs, placing them under pressure. Captain Gerhard Erasmus steadied the innings with 21 runs, including three fours. However, JJ Smith and Malan Kruger’s quick dismissals kept the tension high. The match was ultimately decided by a 37-run partnership between Jan Green and Ruben Trumpelman, with Namibia requiring 10 runs in the final over. Green eased the chase by hitting a six off the first ball and the winning four off the last ball, finishing with 23 runs off 23 balls.