Stirling fifty, Hoey’s three-for guide Ireland to convincing win over Namibia

Ireland opened their ODI series against Namibia with a 55-run victory in Windhoek. After posting 229/9, built around a half-century from Paul Stirling, Ireland's bowlers bundled out the hosts for 174. Ruben Trumpelmann mounted a spirited fightback with a fifty, but Gavin Hoey's three-wicket haul, along with two wickets apiece for Jai Moondra and George Dockrell, ensured Namibia fell well short.

Ireland made a steady start after Namibia elected to bowl, reaching 56/0 after 10 overs. Paul Stirling and Andrew Balbirnie put together a 70-run partnership for the first wicket and seemed at ease with the new ball. Bernard Scholtz ended the stand as Balbirnie fell for 20 in the 13th over. Stirling went on to complete a fluent half-century before being dismissed by Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton for 56 off 71 balls, leaving Ireland at 95/2 in the 21st over.

Cade Carmichael and Harry Tector helped rebuild the innings, but Namibia began to make inroads through their spin attack. The pair added useful runs before Tector fell for 28 in the 33rd over, caught off Loftie-Eaton. Carmichael continued to anchor the innings, though scoring slowed as the pitch became slower and deliveries began to keep low. Between the 26th and 40th overs, Ireland only scored 59 runs and reached 175/3 at the end.

Carmichael's patient 45 off 80 balls ended soon after, while Lorcan Tucker made 28 before also falling to Loftie-Eaton. After losing six wickets in the final ten overs, Ireland gained some momentum and scored 54 runs. Loftie-Eaton finished with four wickets, while JJ Smith claimed two.

Michael van Lingen and Louren Steenkamp scored 48 for the first wicket in Namibia's steady chase. However, their dismissals set off a slide. Steenkamp was run out for 26 by Gavin Hoey in the following over, and Van Lingen made 23 off 22 balls before edging Jai Moondra to Tucker. Following that, Hoey struck once more, dismissing Jan Frylinck for nine to leave Namibia at 68/3 in the thirteenth over.

Curtis Campher bowled Zane Green, and Loftie-Eaton was run out for nine as Ireland continued to chip away at the score. After a brief counterattack by Gerhard Erasmus, who hit a six off Hoey, George Dockrell gave the Namibia captain a lbw for 22. Smit followed shortly after, taking Dockrell's second wicket in the 25th over, leaving Namibia reeling at 110/7.

Ruben Trumpelmann tried to counter attack, striking a six off Andy McBrine and two more maximums off Dockrell. But Namibia lost their eighth wicket as Waldo Smith got a top-edge trying to slog-sweep Hoey. Moondra then picked up his second wicket by having Scholtz bowled, leaving Namibia nine down. Trumpelmann continued his fightback, striking two successive fours off Liam McCarthy as he got to a 42-ball fifty. But shortly thereafter, Ireland took a 1-0 lead in the five-match series and he went down.