Namibia vs Scotland
Bridgetown, 8pm local
Big picture: Opportunity knocks after washout
The magic number would appear to be 109, to judge by the two very contrasting clashes that have so far taken place in Group B of the T20 World Cup 2024.
In Barbados on Sunday evening, Namibia grunted and ground their way to two precious points thanks to David Wiese’s heroics in the Super Over, having only just managed to match Oman’s all-out total of 109 off the very last ball of their original 20 overs.
And then two days later, on the same surface at Bridgetown (albeit a less slow and sticky version to judge by the fluency of Scotland’s openers) George Munsey and Michael Jones dispatched England’s bowlers for 90 runs in ten overs either side of a two-hour rain delay … which, by the time DLS had worked its magic, meant England would have needed a target of, yes, 109 had the weather not closed back in to ruin the afternoon’s entertainment.
And so it’s back to Bridgetown we go for two teams that have been on a significant roll since the end of their respective campaigns at the last T20 World Cup in 2022. Last year, both Namibia and Scotland topped their regional qualifiers, in Africa and Europe respectively, with six wins out of six, against such less-vaunted opponents as Italy and Tanzania. Now, however, they go head-to-head with rather more than trans-continental bragging rights to play for.
England’s habitual discomfort against European opponents has seen to that. Irrespective of whether Tuesday’s washout was an opportunity won or lost for Scotland, the fact that Group B’s top seeds fell short of their anticipated two points means the door is ajar for a notable upset, particularly if Australia can inflict further damage on England’s standing in Saturday’s heavyweight clash.
In the meantime, all that matters is victory here and now. If Scotland can grab the extra point that eluded them last time out, then maintain their 100% record in T20Is against Oman when they meet in Antigua in Sunday, then they will go into their final group game against Australia next week with qualification in their own hands. It’s a lot of “ifs” at this stage, of course. But one fewer than they needed at the start of their campaign.
As for Namibia, a three-point gap at the top of Group B beckons if they can make it two wins from two – and if they need any extra incentive, they need only rewind to their last T20 World Cup campaign two years ago, when qualification for the main event beckoned after their impressive victory over Sri Lanka in their opening fixture, only for the Netherlands and UAE to rip their dream away. They’ll be doubly keen to ensure this latest strong start doesn’t go to waste.
Namibia TWWLL (Last five completed matches; most recent first)
Scotland LWLWW
In the spotlight: Munsey and Trumpelmann
In an innings of two halves on Tuesday, Jones made the running for Scotland prior to the rain-break, including with what looked set to be the moment of the day – a violent pick-up off Chris Jordan that smashed a solar panel on the roof at midwicket. But then, in the 22-ball resumption, it was all about George Munsey, who clobbered 23 from his remaining 12 balls, including a stunning switch-hit six that a left-handed KP could scarcely have timed any better. Namibia, however, know from recent experience that that shot is a Munsey trademark – at Kirtipur in February 2023, he unfurled a similar stroke for four to bring up his maiden ODI hundred, and seal a stunning ten-wicket win with a massive 167 balls to spare. In 2017, he scored his only first-class hundred against the same opponents, in the Intercontinental Cup in Ayr.
Munsey, however, will remember all too well what happened the last time he encountered the left-arm swing of Ruben Trumpelmannat a T20 World Cup. Facing up to the first ball of the match, in Abu Dhabi in 2021, Munsey climbed into a cut but misjudged the width, and hacked the ball onto his own stumps. Three balls later, Scotland were 2 for 3, as Calum McLeod and Richie Berrington were blasted from the crease with an aplomb to rival Mitchell Starc. And auspiciously for Namibia, Trumpelmann has started this latest tournament with similar devastation. Two balls versus Oman, two wickets in the bag, as both Kashyap Prajapati and Aqib Ilyas fell to savage, stump-seeking lbws.
The good news is that the weather in Barbados seems significantly better than it has been for the first week of the tournament. Only a small chance of rain is anticipated for each day until Sunday.
Namibia endured a scare in their opener against Oman but came through in the end. An unchanged team could be in the offing.
Namibia (probable): 1 Michael van Lingen, 2 Nikolaas Davin, 3 Jan Frylinck, 4 Gerhard Erasmus (capt), 5 JJ Smit, 6 David Wiese, 7 Zane Green (wk), 8 Malan Kruger, 9 Ruben Trumpelmann, 10 Bernard Scholtz, 11 Tangeni Lungameni
Precisely two Scotland players got to sample the atmosphere of a Caribbean World Cup on Tuesday, but the confidence that Munsey and Jones will have telegraphed through their unbroken stand should not be underestimated. There’s no reason to think there’ll be any tweaks to the line-up that was trusted for their opening outing.
Scotland (probable): 1 George Munsey, 2 Michael Jones, 3 Brandon McMullen, 4 Richie Berrington (capt), 5 Matt Cross (wk), 6 Michael Leask, 7 Chris Greaves, 8 Mark Watt, 9 Brad Wheal, 10 Chris Sole, 11 Brad Currie
“Every game at a World Cup is a big game regardless of who the opposition is, so nothing changes in terms of process and preparation. We might not have as big a crowd watching us, but we still know it’s just as big a game and we need to win to really compete here.”
Brad Wheal, Scotland’s seamer, is braced for an important showdown.
