Report on third day of Zimbabwe A v Namibia 12-14 January 2004 by John Ward

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Scorecard:

Zimbabwe A v Namibia

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With a disciplined batting performance, especially from their heroic captain Deon Kotze who led the way with a fighting 81, Namibia showed up the more experienced Zimbabwe A team and deservedly won their three-day match at Harare Sports Club by four wickets. They reached their target of 228 in midafternoon after a hard struggle.

 

Namibia, 14 for one overnight, began their chase positively, but soon lost Riaan Walters (10), who cut a long hop from Jordane Nicolle straight to backward point; 22 for two. Walking off frustrated, he slammed his pads with his bat and swore audibly. Fortunately, in this instance, there were no spectators, but his obscenity was clearly heard by the lady scorers.

 

Stephen Swanepoel came out with all guns blazing. He attacked with gay abandon, being particularly severe on Trevor Gripper when he came on to bowl his off-spinners, hitting him for a six over long off and two fours. He raced to 40 off 33 balls before Gripper had his revenge, the batsman holing out to long off. Namibia were 74 for three, and with captain Deon Kotze joining the dogged Danie Keulder at the crease, the next partnership might well prove crucial to the outcome of the match.

 

Aware of their responsibility, the two senior batsmen dug in and fought it out with an application and determination that had been lacking in the Zimbabwe A batsmen. There were few boundaries as they worked the bad ball around for ones and twos, playing within their limitations, and the fifty partnership came up in 23 overs.

 

The lunch interval proved the ideal change bowler for Zimbabwe A, and in the second over of the afternoon session Richie Sims was finally able to make a positive contribution to his team, having Keulder caught at slip for 45 in just over three hours. Namibia were now 137 for four, and the match as evenly balanced as it could be.

 

Kotze kept accumulating steadily, eyes on the target, while Gerrie Strydom came and went for 7, caught lofting a drive off Gary Brent. Burton van Rooi dig himself in, content to stay there while Kotze got the runs, and when the score passed 200 with five wickets down, the tension seemed to lift. But then Kotze’s fine innings came to an end, caught bat and pad off Douglas Marillier for 81, and at 213 for six Namibia’s tail needed a nervous 15 more runs to get home.

 

Van Rooi was equal to the occasion, though. With Kotze gone, he took over the leading role with aplomb, driving and cutting another 14 runs off eight balls to bring a swift conclusion with no further alarms. He also had to contend with some rather childish behaviour and over-appealing from some of the Zimbabwe A fielders, not basically malicious but certainly excessive.

 

Zimbabwe A can blame their rather slack attitude, especially towards batting, for their defeat. The teams go into a four-match one-day series next, starting at Country Club in Harare this Friday.

 

(Article: Copyright © 2004 John Ward)