Namibia vs Ireland 3rd ODI today: series level after historic win
Web StoryWatch this story in 15 seconds →Key takeaways
- On Tuesday, Namibia meet Ireland in the 3rd ODI in Windhoek.
- The five-match series stands at one win each after two games.
- Namibia won the second game by 31 runs for a first win over a Full Member nation.
On Tuesday, October 27, Namibia face Ireland in a big game. The 3rd ODI takes place at HP Oval in Windhoek. The five-match series stands at one win each.
The winner of this game takes a 2-1 lead. Two games will then remain in the series.
Ireland won the first game with ease. Namibia hit back in the second game in style. Captain Gerhard Erasmus scored 156 runs without getting out.
That knock gave Namibia their first ever ODI win over a Full Member nation.
The tour features five one-day games in Namibia. Ireland play as the visiting side. Namibia play at home in Windhoek.
Tuesday will test which side learns faster.
What happened in the first game
On October 22, Ireland started the tour with a clear win. The game took place in Windhoek. Namibia elected to bowl first in the opening game.
Ireland scored 229 runs for nine wickets in 50 overs. Namibia replied with 174 runs in 37.5 overs. Ireland won the game by 55 runs.
Ireland reached 56 runs without loss after 10 overs. Captain Paul Stirling led Ireland with 56 runs off 71 balls. Andy Balbirnie fell for 20 runs in the 13th over.
Cade Carmichael added 45 runs off 80 balls. Harry Tector fell for 28 runs in the 33rd over. Lorcan Tucker made 28 runs before he also fell to Loftie-Eaton.
Ireland scored only 59 runs between the 26th and 40th overs.
Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton took four wickets for 36 runs for Namibia. Gavin Hoey took three wickets for 29 runs for Ireland. Michael van Lingen made 23 runs off 22 balls for Namibia.
Louren Steenkamp made 26 runs before Hoey removed him. Jan Frylinck fell for nine runs in the 13th over. Namibia stood at 110 runs for seven wickets after 25 overs.
Ruben Trumpelmann fought back with 50 runs off 42 balls. But Namibia lost wickets at key times and fell short. According to Cricbuzz, Ireland took a 1-0 lead in the series.
What happened in the second game
On October 24, Namibia turned the series around. The second game took place at the FNB Namibia Cricket Ground. Namibia scored 321 runs for six wickets in 50 overs.
Ireland replied with 290 runs in 47.3 overs. Namibia won the game by 31 runs.
Namibia reached 45 runs for one wicket after 10 overs. Erasmus led the way with 156 runs not out off 125 balls. He hit 14 fours and four sixes in that knock.
He reached his century off 108 balls, according to CricketWorld. Erasmus reached his fifty off 62 balls. Frylinck reached his fifty off 75 balls.
Jan Frylinck gave him strong support with 76 runs off 90 balls. Their stand passed 100 runs off 125 balls. Namibia stood at 175 runs for three wickets after 35 overs.
They then added 111 runs in the last 10 overs. Alexander Volschenk added a brisk 30 runs off 20 balls. Erasmus reached 150 runs off 124 balls.
Ireland started their chase well. Ireland reached 48 runs without loss after 10 overs. The openers put on 50 runs off 61 balls.
Stirling scored 77 runs off 71 balls at the top. He hit eight fours and three sixes. Curtis Campher added 45 runs off 45 balls.
George Dockrell added 48 runs off 48 balls.
Ireland stood at 169 runs for five wickets after 31 overs. Campher and Dockrell added 50 runs off 49 balls. Hoey and Jai Moondra added 50 runs off 32 balls late on.
Ireland reached 250 runs in the 45th over. But Jack Brassell broke the chase open for Namibia. He took four wickets for 52 runs in 10 overs.
His wickets included Stirling, Tucker, Campher and Dockrell. Erasmus also took two wickets for 13 runs with the ball. Ireland lost their last wicket at 290 runs.
Why the second win matters
My Zone reports a historic first for Namibia. It was their first ever ODI win over a Full Member nation. Full Members are the leading nations in world cricket.
Namibia play as an Associate Member nation. That makes the win a landmark for the team.
Erasmus now has three centuries and 21 fifties in ODI cricket. His 156 not out was also a new career-best ODI score. The win came in front of home fans in Windhoek.
It also showed Namibia can match a leading side over 50 overs.
A home win of this size lifts a whole squad. Young players see proof that top sides can be beaten. Fans get a reason to back the team again on Tuesday.
What happens next
The third game takes place at HP Oval in Windhoek on Tuesday. Cricket Ireland said after the second game that the teams go again on Tuesday. The winner takes a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.
Two games will remain after Tuesday.
Namibia will want to keep the momentum from their historic win. Ireland will want a fast reply after the second game loss. Erasmus is the key man for Namibia after his 156 not out.
Stirling is the key man for Ireland after two fine knocks. Both captains lead from the front with the bat.
Rive News has also covered other short-format series. Read about the Sri Lanka vs England ODI. Also see the Netherlands vs Oman ODI.
And the New Zealand vs India T20I.
Tuesday will show which team holds the edge. A Namibian win would put a first series lead in their hands. An Irish win would restore their early control of the tour.
Either way, the series is alive after two very different games.
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