T20 World Cup Qualifier | Ireland, Netherlands and Namibia cruise to victories as qualifications look tight
Qualification seem fingertips away from Ireland as they move to the second spot in group A after thrashing Nigeria by eight wickets while Netherlands also grab the second spot in group B by crushing Bermuda by 92 runs. Namibia also seems hopeful of qualifying after hammering Singapore by 87 runs.
Ireland vs Nigeria
Ireland handed Nigeria an absolute hammering as they keep their hopes of direct qualification very much alive. Having chosen to bat first, Nigeria got off to horrific start losing both openers at a score of 13. Chimezie Onwuzulike (6) tried to steady the ship with skipper Ademola Onikoyi (9) but failed to make any impact. Joseph Adedeji (19) and Issac Okpe (14) were the only Nigerian batters who could make into double figures and ensured that their team played out the full quota. Craig Young’s four-fer restricted Nigeria to a timid total of 66.
Ireland chased the total in mere 6.1 overs riding on a blistering 17-ball 32 from Kevin O Brien. The Irish lost only two wickets chasing the small total, as they looked to boost their net run rate and were quite successful in doing so. With the win, Ireland is now second in group B.
Netherlands vs Bermuda
Netherlands have now clinched the second spot in group A after handing Bermuda a crushing 92 runs defeat. The Dutch called it right at the toss and decided to bat first. Proving their captain’s call right, openers Max ODowd (58) and Ben Cooper (58) stitched a mammoth partnership of 123 runs in mere 77 balls and set the stage for a huge total. Colin Ackermann rose to the occasion as he blasted 43 runs off 18 balls to take Netherlands past the 200-run mark and was ably supported by Ryan ten Doeschate (28).
Chasing an intimidating 207 runs, Bermuda didn’t start off well. They lost both their openers, Oronde Bascome (6) and Dion Stovell (7), at the score of 18. Then the Bermuda innings was more of a landslide as they were reduced to 65-5 in 11.1 overs and any hope of a miracle wasn’t in sight. Allan Douglas (23) and Kamau Leverock (31) were the only ones who put up a fight but in vain as their team were able to muster only 114 in 20 overs, 92 runs short of the target. With this defeat, the winless run of Bermuda stays intact as they end the tournament without one.
Namibia vs Singapore
Namibia notched up third place in group B, tied on points with group leaders Papua New Guinea and Netherlands, after a stunning win over Singapore, by a huge margin of 87 runs, over Singapore. This win now is a faint glimmer of qualification hope for Namibia as they wait for the results of the remaining fixtures of the group. Having asked to bat first, Namibia openers set the stage for a big total with a 40-run partnership up everything seemed to fall apart as Namibia lost 3 wickets in the span of 15 runs. Skipper Gerhard Erasmus(72) and JP Kotze (36) brought the innings to track with a 70 run stand. JJ Smit’s 13 balls 24 cameo after the fall of Kotze helped Namibia post a challenging total of 191.
Chasing a steep total, Singapore fell apart as they lost as many as three wickets in the two overs and there was no coming back from there. Although opener Tim David (19), R Rangarajan (16) and lower middle-order batter Navin Param (28) tried to retaliate but couldn’t do anything more than delaying an inevitable Namibia victory. Jan Frylink’s four wickets and Christi Viljoen’s three broke the spine of the Namibian batting order as they succumbed at the score of 104.
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