Eagles prepare for crucial Tri-Nations series 

Namibia’s senior men’s cricket team the Richelieu Eagles host the UAE and USA in a crucial Tri-Nations series starting next week.

With the series forming part of the Cricket World Cup League 2 tournament, which is a qualifier for the 2027 Cricket World Cup that Namibia will co-host along with South Africa and Zimbabwe, Namibia will have to get some wins on their home ground if they want to keep their qualification hopes alive.

Their last Tri-Nations series in Scotland two months ago was not very successful, with Namibia winning just one out of four matches, leaving them fourth on the log on eight points from eight matches, just behind Canada on nett run rate, while The Netherlands top the log on 12 points from eight matches, followed by Scotland on nine points from seven matches.

The top four teams will progress to the final 2027 World Cup Qualifier, but competition will be intense as the bottom four teams all have several matches in hand on the leaders.

The USA, who are fifth on four points, have only played four matches, while the UAE, who must still open their account, have only played three.

Namibia coach Pierre de Bruyn says it will be a crucial series.

“Every single game is critical to grab points, to ensure you don’t chase points at the end of the cycle in 2026. Coming from Scotland in our previous series we only won one game, but we should have at least won two games, so we are a couple of points behind, which we need to make up.

“We have a great opportunity now to make up the points here on our home ground in Windhoek against two very good sides,” he says.

“It’s a very important series for us. There are four matches and eight points up for grabs, so we need to do everything we can to accumulate more points than we did in Scotland,” De Bruyn says.

The UAE arrived in Namibia a week ago and is currently involved in a warm-up series against Namibia A, with both sides giving their fringe players more opportunities to play and stake their claims for selection to the national sides.

The UAE Falcons won the first encounter on 5 September, which was played over two innings by six wickets, but Namibia A struck back with 50-over victories on 8 and 10 September.

In the first match, Namibia A were all out for 216 in their first innings, with JP Kotze scoring 60 and Nicol Loftie-Eaton 50, while Rahul Bhatia took 5/50 for UAE.

The UAE Falcons replied with 144 for eight wickets, with Aryansh Sharma and Muhammad Shahdad both scoring 26, while Jan-Izak de Villiers (2/11), Shaun Fouche (2/42) and Dylan Leicher (2/18) each took two wickets.

Namibia A were bundled out for 143 in their second innings, with Leicher scoring 58, while Bhatia once again shone with the ball, taking 5/62, leaving UAE Falcons a victory target of 216,which they reached off 54 overs for the loss of four wickets.

Sharma led the way with a great century, scoring 106 not out (16×4, 2×6), while Rahul Chopra added 59 not out.

In their first 50-over encounter, the recalled Loftie-Eaton, was once again in great form, scoring 90 not out off 66 balls (8×4, 1×6), while JC Balt added 57 and De Villiers 50 not out as Namibia A reached 266 for five wickets.

In a thrilling finish, UAE Falcons scored 265 off their 50 overs to give Namibia A victory by a single run.

Vriitya Aravind was UAE’s top scorer with 47 runs, while Ado Iita (2/43), Handre Klazinga (2/53) and Simon Shikongo (2/22) were Namibia’s top bowlers.

On Tuesday, Namibia A once again emerged victorious with a four-wicket victory.

UAE Falcons scored 208/9, with Aravind unfortunate not to get his century as he was stranded on 99 not out after 50 overs, while Fouche took 3/38 for Namibia A.

In reply Namibia scored 213/6 off 45 overs with Jan Frylinck scoring 45, Klazinga 38 not out, Loftie-Eaton 37, and Leicher 36, while Akif Raja took 3/61.

De Bruyn says he is happy with the performances of Namibia’s fringe players.

“It’s very pleasing to see how a lot of these young fringe players, who don’t always get the opportunity, are doing. A lot of the guys have put their hands up, which makes selection difficult, but that’s what we want,” he says.