South Africa vs Namibia (Screengrab) During their first-ever international encounter, Namibia secured a remarkable victory over South Africa in a historic Twenty20 international match on Saturday, thanks to wicketkeeper Zane Green’s explosive late-game performance. Green remained unbeaten at 30 runs, contributing 23 runs in the final two overs of this first-ever international clash between the neighbouring African nations. Green’s decisive performance included a powerful hook shot for six runs off Andile Simelane’s first delivery in the final over, with 11 runs needed. He sealed the victory by hitting the last ball to the midwicket boundary.The match celebrated the inauguration of the Namibia Cricket Ground, which will serve as one of the venues for the 2027 Cricket World Cup, jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.”You can see what it means, for the team and the crowd,” said Namibian captain Gerhard Erasmus after leading his players on a victory lap in front of a capacity crowd. “The guys did it with good skill.”South Africa fielded a weakened team, as several key players, including regular captain Aiden Markram, were in Pakistan for an upcoming Test series in Lahore. Despite all players having international experience, they struggled against Namibia, who had recently qualified for next year’s T20 World Cup in India.”We weren’t good enough,” admitted stand-in South African captain Donovan Ferreira. He noted that their defense was hampered by fast bowler Gerald Coetzee’s chest muscle injury, forcing him to leave after bowling just nine balls.The South African innings got off to a poor start when Quinton de Kock, making his first international appearance since the 2024 T20 World Cup, was dismissed for a single run in the opening over. The team struggled to gain momentum on the slow pitch, managing only 134 runs for eight wickets after choosing to bat first.Ruben Trumpelmann, who began his cricket career in South Africa, claimed three wickets for 28 runs. Newcomer Max Heingo took two quick wickets, reducing South Africa to 65 for five in the eleventh over.The final scorecard showed South Africa at 134-8 in their allotted 20 overs, with J. Smith scoring 31 runs and Trumpelmann taking three wickets for 28 runs. Namibia successfully chased down the target, finishing at 138-6 in 20 overs, with Green’s unbeaten 30 leading them to a four-wicket victory.Brief score: South Africa 134-8 in 20 overs (J. Smith 31; R. Trumpelmann 3-28) v Namibia 138-6 in 20 overs (Z. Green 30 not out)
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