* Crucial 74 run partnership between Berrington and Leask seals Namibians fate (Match 12)
By Dwayne Ferreira
Scotland enjoyed their first win in the T20 World Cup, beating Namibia by 5 wickets in Game 12 of the competition. Richie Berrington and his men successfully chased down 156 runs in 18.3 overs, thanks to heroic batting in the closing stages by the skipper and all rounder Michael Leask.
Leask was able to pound needed boundaries just when momentum swung in the favor of the Namibians, counter attacking through tricky spells of spin by taking on the faster bowlers in the death.
Namibia were unable to put up a competitive total after choosing to bat first.
Although captain Gerhard Erasmus did his part with the bat, he was let down by his team, ending a lengthy first innings with a total of 155 runs for 9 wickets.
Scotland’s Brad Wheal and Bradley Currie shared 5 wickets amongst the themselves, troubling the Namibians throughout, well assisted by spinner and later man of the match Michael Leask.
The Scot’s proved adamant to recover from their meeting against champions England, a match which ended in shared points due to rain interruption.
Michael Jones led from the front with a troublesome 26 run knock, while Brandon McMullen also added to the total with a handy 19 runs while alongside his skipper.
However, it was the destructive 74 run partnership between Berrington and Leask that took the game away from the Nambians. With Namibia confident and just a few wickets away from tightening the screws at 67 for 3, the skipper and Leask made surviving a priority. Leask was able to unleash a few cracking sixes on the offside following a tough phase over courtesy of spinners like Erasmus and Scholtz.
Fortunately for the Scots, Michael Leask’s efforts took his team right to the finish line before Richie Berrington polished off the remaining runs with 5 wickets in hand.
Regardless of the looming pressure and sway in momentum, Berrington was able to hold his nerve throughout the run chase and carry his team to their first victory in the tournament with balls to spare.
Chief Scores:
Namibia – 155 for 9 in 20 overs ( Gerhard Erasmus 52, Zane Green 28, Niko Davin 20, Brad Wheal 3 for 33, Bradley Currie 2 for 16)
Scotland – 157 for 5 in 18.3 overs (Richie Berrington 47*, Michael Leask 35, Michael Jones 26, Gerhard Erasmus 2 for 29, Bernard Scholtz 1 for 20)
Player of the Match – Michael Leask
