Namibia thrashes Botswana to clean sweep the series 5-0

Botswana travelled to Namibia for a 7-match T20I series which took place at Windhoek. The hosts Namibia proved too strong for Botswana who swept the series 5-0.

First two games were to be played on 31st March which were abandoned without a ball being bowled. Action resumed for the 3rd march on the next day.

Namibia skipper Yasmeen Khan won the toss and elected to field first. Botswana never recovered from the early wickets and their inning was bundled for 50-all out in 16.4 overs. Highest scorers of the innings was 17 Extras as none of the batters managed to reach the double figures. Kejarukua was pick of the bowlers with 3 wickets.

Chasing 51 runs to win, Namibia lost van der Merwe was caught behind on the very first delivery and van Zyl too departed in the next over. The Botswana skipper Mophakedi was called again in the action as Namibia lost the 3rd wicket soon. Green and Khan chased the remaining runs to win the game by 7-wickets and 81 balls to spare.

Both the teams met again for the 4th and 5th T20I on the next day at the same venue.

In the first match of the day, Botswana won the toss and elected to field. Green made a fast start to the Namibia inning and top scored with 37 in 29 deliveries, hitting 3 fours and a six. Wayward bowling by Botswana saw 31 wides being bowled and 36 runs in were conceded in Extras. Green was supported by the skipper Yasmeen Khan who slammed a quick 35 runs in 28 deliveries. Namibia ended the inning with 161 runs on board at the end of 20-overs.

Namibia's Shihepo gave 2 early blows to Botswana as she picked 2 wickets in her first 2 overs. Only Batisani managed to score 25 runs whereas 21 Extras again came to the rescue of Botswana as no other batters managed to post double figures. Shihepo and Short picked up 3-wickets each as Botswana inning came to an end for 73-all out in the 20th over, handing hosts Namibia a huge 88-run victory and a 2-0 lead.

In the second match of the day, Botswana again won the toss but elected to bat this time. Shihepo struck again in the first over to remove Batisani for 0. The visitors never recovered from the early strike and kept losing wickets at regular interval. Short picked up 4-wickets for Namibia to restrict Botswana for only 58 runs at the loss of 7 wickets at the end of 20-overs. Extras played their part again as a top scorer of the inning with 15 and the skipper Mophakedi was the second highest scorer with 13 runs.

Namibia chased the required 59 runs in just 7.1 overs for a loss of 1 wicket. Green remained unbeaten with 27 runs in 23 deliveries. The hosts won the 5th game with 9-wickets with 77 balls to spare to take unassailable 3-0 lead in the series.

On 3rd April both teams played remaining 2 matches in which Namibia posted huge victories.

In the first match of the day, Namibia won the toss and elected to bat first. Green and van der Merwe started confidently and took kept on rotating the scoreboard picking odd boundaries and a six. The pair posted a century stand for the first wicket as both the batters reached respective half-centuries. Green fell first for 57 (52b) in the 16th over with a score of 110. Khan scored a quick 26 (17b) and van der Merwe remained unbeaten for 53 (59b) as Namibia scored 162-1 at the end of 20-overs.

Botswana lost 4 wickets in 7 overs at the score of 30 which made the task impossible for them. Matome and Gaanamong added 38-runs for the 5th wicket to take the score to 68 runs. Gaanamong was run out for 19 which triggered the fall of wickets and remaining 5 wickets could add only 8 runs as they were all out for 76 in 18.2 overs. Namibia won the game by 86 runs to increase the lead to 4-0.

With the clean sweep on their minds, Namibia won the toss in the second match of the day and elected to bat again. This time the openers did not make Botswana bowlers suffer and the first wicket fell at 15. van der Merwe and Short added 48 runs for the 2nd wicket. Short was dismissed for 36 in the 10th over with the score at 82-3. In next 2 overs Namibia lost their 5 batters for just 16 runs.

The score being 96-8 at the end of 13 overs, Botswana  probably had a great chance to restrict the host under 100 runs. However No. 9 and 10 batters Foerster and van Schoor had another ideas. The pair slammed the bowling all over the park and added 67 runs for the 10th wicket. van Schoor was the top scorer of the inning with unbeaten 39 (30b) whereas Foerster remained not out on 19 (16b). At the end of their 20 overs Namibia reached to a huge score of 163-8.

Botswana put up a resistance by not letting the team crumple chasing a big score. Samanyika scored almost half of their runs with 36 runs. Matome scored 18 runs but the visitors could only post 75-5 at the end of 20 overs handing 88 run victory to the Namibia, who wrapped up the series 5-0.

Namibia's Green was the highest run scorer in the series with 144 runs in 5 innings whereas Short lead the wickets charts with 8 wickets.

 

Brief Results

1st T20I - No result

2nd T20I - No result

3rd T20I - Botswana 50(all out) lost to Namibia 51-3

4th T20I - Namibia 161-4 beat Botswana 73 (all out)

5th T20I - Botswana 58-7 lost to Namibia 59-1

6th T20I - Namibia 162-1 beat Botswana 76 (all out)

7th T20I - Namibia 163-8 beat Botswana 75-5