Jordan Hermann equals ODI debut record as SA crush Namibia

On Wednesday, September 9, South Africa won the first ever men's one-day international between the two neighbors in Windhoek by a score of 99 runs using the DLS method. This gave them a 1-0 lead in the series. Prenelan Subrayen's 4 for 29 and Jordan Hermann's 150 in his debut contributed to South Africa's 348 for 6 score. Namibia never recovered from a middle-order collapse before rain and the DLS method ended their chase at 162 for 8.

Namibia chose to field after winning the toss. Connor Esterhuizen, who was also making his debut, quickly hit a short ball from Ruben Trumpelmann for 10, but that was the best the hosts got. Hermann and Tony de Zorzi put on 190 for the second wicket, cutting the ground apart through the middle overs as the bowlers dropped short or too full. When Hermann was 30 years old, he had a lucky escape when he appeared to have been hit directly. The umpire did not give him out but replays confirmed it. With no DRS in the series, Hermann survived.

De Zorzi brought up a composed fifty and fell lbw to Gerhard Erasmus for 72, missing the line of a quicker one while trying to reverse sweep. After scoring a century on debut, Hermann was caught at long-on by Trumpelmann for 150 off 126 balls, including 17 fours and three sixes. He was able to time anything full through the covers and pull anything short with ease.

Corbin Bosch finished the innings with two reverse-scooped sixes off JJ Smit in the final over to take South Africa to 348 for 6. Trumpelmann ended with 4 for 68, the pick of a Namibian attack that offered little else, with the fielding also letting the side down through drops and misfields.

The weather made the Namibian chase even more difficult, which was always going to be hard. Malan Kruger and Alexander Volschenk put on 50 for the first wicket before Kwena Maphaka struck twice in five overs, first squaring up Volschenk for a thin edge behind and then bowling Jan Frylinck through an inside edge onto the stumps.

Kruger was given lbw after missing a straight ball while charging down the track at Prenelan Subrayen, and Namibia were 68 for 3, so the covers were on for close to an hour because of the rain.

When play resumed, the target had been revised to 301 off 38 overs. Following a second interruption, Namibia lost seven more overs, forcing them to chase 167 in the final seven overs.

Louren Steenkamp, caught hooking, and Gerhard Erasmus, top edging a slog sweep to short mid-wicket off Subrayen for 21, both fell during that time as the target grew out of reach. Zane Green skied one to point off Duan Jansen before Subrayen picked two in two as Namibia finished on 162 for 8 in 31 overs.