Zimbabwe survive Namibia scare to win thriller

Zimbabwe held their nerve in the final over after going from 101/6 to 195/6 after a huge scare from Namibia to win by five runs in Windhoek. Before Zane Green and Alexander Volschenk produced a stunning 109-run seventh-wicket stand off only 49 balls, Namibia, which had opened the tri-series with an impressive victory over South Africa, appeared to be out of the match at 76/6 in the chase.

Ben Curran and Brian Bennett's brisk 64-run opening stand gave Zimbabwe a strong start after being given the opportunity to bat. Namibia struck with the last ball of the Powerplay when Bennett top-edged a pull off JJ Smit to deep midwicket, falling for 32 off 21 balls. Dion Myers then fell to Bernard Scholtz in the next over, beaten by one that turned sharply to take the top of off.

Two balls later, Gerhard Erasmus made the biggest breakthrough by removing Sikandar Raza for a golden duck, with the batter mistiming a slog-sweep. Curran’s dismissal in the ninth over triggered another wobble, and when Erasmus removed Wesley Madhavere soon after, Namibia had Zimbabwe reeling at 79/5 in the 10th over.

Ryan Burl and Brad Evans later added 94 off 48 balls for the eighth wicket and changed the course of the innings completely. Additionally, Namibia's decision to switch back to spin for the final over was especially costly. Burl launched Erasmus for a six and three successive fours, and took 20 from the over as Zimbabwe reached an impressive total of 195/6.

After a few close calls during Namibia's chase, Louren Steenkamp was eventually bowled out by Blessing Muzarabani in the third over. Before losing to Brad Evans, Gerhard Erasmus made a quick 12 for the match. Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton briefly counterattacked with 20 off 13, but Brian Bennett then removed him and JJ Smit in the space of three balls, leaving Namibia at 66/4.

Jan Frylinck took Wellington Masakadza's first wicket in the 11th over despite his patient 22 off 29 runs. Namibia were at 76/6 when Ruben Trumpelmann was bowled out by Sikandar Raza in the subsequent over.

What followed was an extraordinary recovery. Volschenk hit Wellington Masakadza with two sixes in the 13th over, repeatedly targeting the shorter lengths, and came out swinging. Green joined him and gradually began to find his range. The pair ran hard, picked off loose deliveries and refused to allow Zimbabwe to settle. With six wickets in hand, Namibia suddenly needed only 16 runs from the final over after their partnership had reached 100.

Brad Evans, who had been brought back to bowl the last over, began with a no-ball, although Namibia could manage only two runs from it. Green was run out for 54 off 26, caught short at the non-striker's end by a direct hit from Raza, and two more runs followed.

With a boundary straight down the ground, Volschenk kept the chase alive, but his remarkable innings came to an end on 56 off 29 when he edged a full, wide delivery and Marumani made a fantastic one-handed catch behind the stumps.

With two balls left, Namibia needed nine. Bernard Scholtz was run out attempting a desperate single, leaving Jack Brassell with the final chance. Evans held his nerve, bowling Brassell for a duck and sealing a remarkable five-run victory for Zimbabwe.