* After agonising rain delay, defending champions overcome early stumble against Namibia (Match 34)
By Dwayne Ferreira
The hours of waiting for England’s final group match against Namibia at the T20 World Cup 2024 were filled with suspense. Eventually, England emerged victorious by 41 runs in a 10-over-per-side match in Antigua on Saturday, a relief for the defending champions.
England needed a win to stay in contention for the Super Eight phase but had to wait three hours for the toss, which Namibia won and chose to bowl. After showers and another torrential downpour delayed the start, play finally began at 4pm local time. The match was initially reduced to 11 overs per side, but further rain shortened it to 10 overs, with England at 82 for 3 after eight overs.
Harry Brook’s unbeaten 47 off 20 balls and Jonny Bairstow’s 31 off 18 balls steadied England from a perilous 13 for 2. Their 56-run partnership for the third wicket lifted England to 122 for 5. Namibia’s chase of a DLS-adjusted target of 126 fell short, as England’s bowlers kept their scoring in check, securing a comfortable victory after a torturous wait.
Namibia had a dream start with David Wiese conceding just one run in the first over, and Ruben Trumpelmann removing Jos Buttler for a duck in the second over. England didn’t score a boundary until 10 balls into the match. Wiese’s excellent knuckleball caught Phil Salt behind, leaving England at 13 for 2 inside three overs.
Bairstow launched a counterattack, reverse-sweeping and hitting sixes off left-arm spinner Bernard Scholtz. Brook joined in with powerful shots, bringing up England’s fifty off 34 balls. Bairstow’s aggressive batting continued until he top-edged a delivery from Scholtz, departing for 31 off 18 balls.
Another 10-minute rain stoppage reduced England’s innings to 10 overs. Brook and Moeen Ali capitalized on the remaining deliveries, with Brook scoring 18 runs off the penultimate over. Despite Moeen’s dismissal, Liam Livingstone added quick runs, but his injury raised concerns about his fitness.
Reece Topley’s disciplined bowling and England’s tight fielding restricted Namibia’s scoring. Nikolaas Davin retired out to make way for Wiese, who hit consecutive sixes off Adil Rashid but couldn’t close the gap. Michael van Lingen and Wiese were dismissed in the final overs, with Wiese receiving handshakes from England players in his international farewell.
England’s victory kept their Super Eight hopes alive, awaiting the result of Australia’s match against Scotland. The defending champions now turn their attention to facing Afghanistan in the next stage of the tournament.
Chief Scores
England 122 for 5 in 10 overs (Harry Brook 47 nout out, Johny Bairstow 31, Ruben Trumplemaan 2 for 24)
Namibia 84 for 3 in 10 overs (Michael Van Lingen 33, David Wiese 27, Joffra Archer 1 for 15, Chris Jordan 1 for 19)
Player of the Match – Harry Brook
