Innocent Kaia’s 72 off 42 overshadowed Gerhard Erasmus’s unbeaten 88 off 48 as Zimbabwe defeated Namibia by five wickets to boost their chances of reaching the final of the tri-series. Erasmus hit 8 fours and 3 sixes during his stay to lift Namibia to 156 for 6 after they were struggling at the midway point of the innings. But Zimbabwe ensured the chase remained under control, thanks to Kaya’s brilliant knock and good support around him, eventually crossing the line with 11 more deliveries.
Zimbabwe made a strong start to the chase, reaching 59 for 1 at the end of the Powerplay. Although Ben Curran departed shortly after scoring a hat-trick, Kaya and Brian Bennett took over to ensure their side got off to a good start. Kaya was particularly aggressive, repeatedly targeting the leg side, while Bennett joined in with four. The pair added 61 for the second wicket, in just 34 balls, before Lofty-Eaton broke a wicket partnership with Bennett in the seventh over. Meanwhile, Kaya continued his onslaught as he brought up a 30-ball fifty by pulling Jacques Brassell for a six at deep mid-wicket. Sikandar Raza also started by guiding four, taking Zimbabwe to 91 for 2 after 10 overs.
Kaya scored two straight offs from Robin Trompelman as Zimbabwe passed 100, and by the end of the 12th over the equation was down to 46 from 48. Kaya also scored a six off JJ Smit before he was bowled out to Brasil in the 14th over, with a pull from the top to mid on after finishing off a fine knock. Reza got a boundary out of Trompelman before the bowler responded with a wicket from the Zimbabwe T20I captain and sent off Wesley Madhaver soon after. Zimbabwe were 132 for 5 at that point, needing another 28 off their 30. Tadewanashe Marumane and Ryan Burle took over the remainder of the chase, with six catches each from the batsmen finishing the match in the 19th over.
Earlier, Namibia got off to a flying start after being asked to bat, with Lauren Steenkamp scoring a couple of boundaries in the first two overs. But Zimbabwe quickly tightened the screws with a quick wicket as Brad Evans removed Steenkamp for 14, before Blessing Muzarabane dismissed Jan Vrylenck for 8. Kundai Mategemo then struck to take the wicket of Zane Green, leaving Namibia at 25 for 3 in the sixth over. The innings remained in rebuilding mode over the next few overs before Alexander Volchenk broke the shackles in the ninth over with a stylish six over extra cover from Pearl.
However, Namibia had a lot of work to do in the second half, managing just 50 for 3 in the first 10 overs. But the innings changed dramatically as Erasmus and Volshnik put together a vital 83-run partnership. Erasmus, who was on 10 off 11, started to accelerate as he hit the regular boundary and also hit a six off Wellington Masakadza en route to a 32-ball fifty. Even when Volshnik fell for 29 and more wickets followed, Erasmus continued to dominate. He smashed three fours and two sixes in the last four, taking Namibia past 150, with 106 runs coming in the last 10 overs.
Abbreviated degrees: Namibia 156/6 in 20 overs (Gerhard Erasmus 88* off 48, Alexander Volschenk 29 off 31; Brad Evans 2-29, Kundai Mategemo 2-31) lost to Zimbabwe 159/5 in 18.1 overs (Innocent Kaya 72 off 42, Sikandar Raza 29 off 24; Robin Trompelman). 2-41) with 5 wickets.
