Windhoek [Namibia]: Namibia became the first team from the Africa Region Qualifier to qualify for the 2024 T20 World Cup with a 58-run victory over Tanzania on Tuesday. The win secured Namibia's spot in the tournament, which will be held in the US and West Indies.
Namibia's flawless record of five wins in five games confirmed their spot in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 and included victories over - Zimbabwe, Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, and Tanzania.
After getting ahead of Tanzania, the Eagles claimed the two points necessary for the qualification and continued to sit on top of the table with 10 points.
The fight for the final spot still wages on, with Uganda, Kenya, Zimbabwe and Nigeria still in the thick of the action. Uganda and Kenya still hold their destiny in their hands, while Zimbabwe and Nigeria rely on other outcomes that must fall in their favour.
The victory against Tanzania confirmed that Namibia is bound to feature in the Men's T20 World Cup for a third consecutive time in a row. In 2021, they managed to make their place in Super 12 after finishing second in the group stage but failed to do so last year.
Tanzania won the toss and put Namibia to the test. A collective batting effort from the top four batters put Namibia on the path to a 150-plus score. JJ Smit remained unbeaten, scoring 40 in 25 balls and scoring a single boundary and four maximums. Zane Green and Nicol Loftie-Eaton delivered crucial cameos to put 157 runs on board.
Namibia ended the inning with a score of 157/6.
In reply, Tanzania struggled right from the very first over. Skipper Gerhard Erasmus claimed two wickets, while experienced all-rounder David Wiese also featured among the wicket-takers with a single wicket. Tanzania's struggle was reflected by none of their batters scoring more than run-a-ball.
Amal Rajeevan put up a valiant fight with the bat with his unbeaten 41 but in the end, his efforts went in vain. Namibia won the game by 58 runs.
—ANI