Ruben Trumpelman led a deadly bowling performance to seal Namibia’s stunning four-wicket win over Scotland in their first Super 12 clash of the Twenty20 World Cup on Wednesday.
Chasing a tough 110, JJ Smit scored an unbeaten 32 to take the team home in Abu Dhabi with five balls to spare and extend Namibia’s winning streak in the tournament to three after the team advanced to the qualifying round.
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Smit and David Wiese, who scored 16 runs, put on a crucial 35-run partnership in a low-scoring match as Scotland suffered their second loss in the group stage.
Trumpelman started the show with three wickets in the first over with his left-arm pace to return figures of 3-17 and restrict Scotland to 109-8.
The left-arm pacer justified his team’s decision to bat first as he struck the first ball and then scored two runs off two consecutive balls including Richie Berrington.
Berrington, who stood with regular captain Kyle Coetzer as captain, with a finger injury, reviewed the call, but replays suggested the ball may have hit the leg-stump.
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The opening over provided a stellar start for a team, ranked below 19, to enter the Super 12 after victories over Netherlands and Ireland in the qualifying stage.
Trumpelman returned his T20 best figures in his sixth international in the shortest format.
David Wiese lbw Craig Wallace for four to dodge Scotland, who lost their Super 12 opener to Afghanistan by 130 runs.
At one point on Wednesday, the Scots were 18-4.
Opener and wicketkeeper-batsman Matthew Cross attempted to stop the rot with Michael Leask, but was bowled for 19 by another fast left-arm medium, John Frylink. Cross took 33 balls for the effort.
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Lisk scored 44 off 27 balls before being bowled by Smit.
The bowlers kept up the pressure in the last few overs and Frylink returned figures of 2-10 in his four overs.
Chris Greaves scored 25 and was run out on the last ball of the innings.
In response, Craig Williams and Michael van Lingen got the team off to a solid start with an opening stand of 28, but Safyan Sharif claimed the first breakthrough to check out Namibia.
He dismissed Van Lingen for 18 and soon Chris Greaves with his leg spin saw wicketkeeper-batsman Jane Green’s back for nine.
Spinners Lisk and Mark Watt also picked up a wicket to make the chase challenging for T20 World Cup debutants, but Smit remained at one end to pursue his team’s dream.
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