Namibia emerged victorious by 12 runs against Canada in a closely contested match in the ICC Cricket World Cup League Two 2023-27 at the Wanderers Cricket Ground, Windhoek, on Saturday, March 15, 2025. The match was reduced to 43 overs in the second innings due to rain, with Canada being set a revised target of 167 runs under the DLS method.
Namibia’s Innings: Erasmus and Loftie-Eaton Anchor the Total
After winning the toss, Namibia opted to bat first but had a shaky start. Zane Green (0) was dismissed in the very first over by Kaleem Sana. Niko Davin (33 off 43) and Kotze (48 off 71) steadied the innings with a crucial 70-run partnership. However, Shahid Ahmadzai broke the stand by dismissing Davin, followed by the wicket of Kotze a few overs later.
Namibia’s captain Gerhard Erasmus (17) failed to convert his start and was trapped leg before wicket by Ahmadzai. Loftie-Eaton played a pivotal role, scoring an unbeaten 47 off 65 balls, which included three boundaries and a six. However, Namibia struggled to build partnerships, losing wickets at regular intervals.
Kaleem Sana was the standout bowler for Canada, finishing with 4 for 33 in his 8 overs. Ahmadzai also impressed, claiming 4 for 34 in his 10 overs. Namibia was bowled out for 186 in 49 overs.
Canada’s Response: Samra Fights Alone as Erasmus Spins the Web
Chasing a revised target of 167 in 43 overs after rain intervention, Canada got off to a steady start with Yuvraj Samra (53 off 74) anchoring the innings. However, Gerhard Erasmus spun his magic, dismissing Navneet Dhaliwal (25) and Pargat Singh (1) in quick succession to put Canada under pressure.
Harsh Thaker (4) and Nicholas Kirton (8) fell cheaply, leaving Canada struggling at 91 for 4. Samra fought hard but failed to find consistent support from the middle order. Shreyas Movva (24*) tried to steer the chase, but Erasmus struck again, removing Saad Bin Zafar (13) to tighten Namibia’s grip on the match.
Tangeni Lungameni and Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton cleaned up the tail, and Canada was bowled out for 154 in 42 overs, falling 12 runs short of the target. Gerhard Erasmus was the game-changer with the ball, finishing with outstanding figures of 4 for 24 in 9 overs. Tangeni Lungameni (2 for 25) and Loftie-Eaton (1 for 13) also made crucial breakthroughs to secure the win for Namibia.
