Junior cricketers struggle at Cubs Week 

Namibia’s u19 cricket team found the going tough at Cricket South Africa’s Cubs Week with just one win from their five matches. 

The annual event saw South Africa’s top provincial franchises in action at Stellenbosch, while Namibia as well as the United States also participated on invitation. 

Both countries will be involved in continental qualifying competitions for the 2026 u19 World Cup that Namibia will co-host along with Zimbabwe next year and the Cubs Week formed an important part of their preparations, but judging by the results, Namibia still has a lot of work to do. They finished joint last with only one win, while the USA was the surprise package after winning four of their five matches and beating the Southern Superstars in the final. 

In their first match on 3 January, Namibia suffered a comprehensive nine-wicket defeat against the Northern Champions, which consisted of players from the Titans, Easterns and Limpopo.

Namibia were bundled out for 137 runs, with Ben Brassel scoring 42 and Waldo Smith 36, while Northern Champions reached the target with half of their overs and nine wickets in hand. 

The next day, Namibia took on the Western Legends, made up of players from North West, Northern Cape and Free State and suffered a 78-run defeat.

The Legends posted a sizeable 274 runs for nine wickets off their 50 overs, with opener Muhammed Bulbulia scoring 122 off 142 balls, while Junior Kariata with three wickets for 39 runs and PD Blignaut with 2/46 were Namibia’s best bowlers.

In reply, Namibia steadily lost wickets and at the halfway stage were already five down with only 72 runs on the board. Waldo Smith with 49 runs off 64 balls and Blignaut with 41 off 34 led a lower-order revival, but they eventually fell well short, after being dismissed for 196. 

On 5 January, Namibia suffered a comprehensive 132 run defeat to the Coastal Conquerors, made up of players from Dolphins and Kwazulu Natal Inland.

Batting first, the Conquerors posted a huge total of 335/7, with Semal Pillay scoring 110 off 132 balls, while Brassell took 3/71 and Smith 2/55. 

In reply, Namibia were all out for 203, with Liam Basson scoring 70 off 57 balls, Zacheo van Vuuren 25 and Blignaut 23. 

On 6 January, Namibia recorded their only win of the tournament when they thumped Eastern Warriors, made up of players from Eastern Province and Border, by 155 runs. 

Batting first, Namibia posted a solid 223/8, with Brassell scoring 66 off 111 balls, Basson 54 and Smith 39, and then skittled the Warriors out for 68, with Kariata taking 4/15 and Henry Grant 2/14. 

In their final match on 7 January, Namibia suffered a five-wicket defeat to the Northern Champions, which saw them finishing bottom of the table along with the Central Gladiators and the Eastern Warriors with one win each. 

Namibia were all out for 186, with Basson scoring 46, Adriaan Coetzee 45 and Francois du Plessis 45, while the Northern Champions reached the target for the loss of five wickets with 11 overs in hand. 

Jorich van Schalkwyk led the way with 100 runs off 95 balls, while Blignaut (2/32) and Du Plessis (2/44) were Namibia’s top bowlers. 

Jason Rowles of the Central Gladiators was the top batter at the tournament with 280 runs at an average of 70,00, while Waldo Smith was Namibia’s top batter, finishing 19th overall with 133 runs at an average of 33,30.

Liam Basson came 21st with 129 runs at an average of 32,30, while Brassel came 24th overall with 123 runs at an average of 41,00. 

Nathan Rossouw of the Western Legends was the top bowler with 13 wickets for 155 runs, while Junior Kariata was Namibia’s top bowler, coming 11th overall with seven wickets. Kariata, however, had the distinction of having the best strike rate at the tournament of 15,00.