NAMIBIA got off to a great start in the Cricket League 2 Tri-Nations series with a 40-run victory against Oman at the Wanderers ground in Windhoek on Friday.
New captain JJ Smit played a starring role with both bat and ball, scoring 56 and then taking 5/26 to guide Namibia to a compelling victory.
After being sent in to bat, Namibia were all out for 228 off their 50 overs, before dismissing Oman for 188 with three overs to spare.
Namibia got off to a steady start as most of their top order batsmen made solid contributions.
Stephen Baard was the first to go, bowled by Bilal Khan for 16, and when Zane Green was dismissed for 29 they were well set at 76/2.
Craig Williams joined Michael van Lingen and put Namibia in control with a 49-run partnership, but Van Lingens dismissal for 51 off 48 balls (1×4, 2×6) triggered a middle-order slump, as Namibia lost six wickets for only 35 runs.
Williams scored 37 off 45 balls (5×4), but Karl Birkenstock (1), Michau du Preez (4), Fan Frylinck (3) and Pikkie Ya France (0) all went cheaply.
JJ Smit however revived the innings with a fine knock, scoring 56 off 60 balls (4×6, 2×4), while he received good support from Ruben Trumpelmann, who scored 22 in a 39-run ninth wicket stand, as Namibia reached a competitive total.
Zeeshan Maqsood was Omans best bowler, taking 3/30 off 10 overs, while Bilal Khan, Mohammad Nadeem and Khawar Ali took two wickets each.
In Omans innings, Namibia maintained the pressure with some sharp fielding and bowling.
Jatinder Singh was run out by Jan Frylinck for 6, while Bernard Scholtz bowled Kashyap Prajapati for 21 to restrict Oman to 46/2 after 11 overs.
Smit struck with two wickets in three balls, dismissing Aqib Ilyas for 25 and Mohammad Nadeem for a duck, and when Pikkie Ya France dismissed Ayaan Khan for 9, Oman had slumped to 70/5.
Maqsood and Sandeep Goud however revived the innings and their hopes of victory with a century partnership, but Smit once again got the breakthrough, with two wickets in three balls. He dismissed Goud for 50 off 68 balls (3×4, 2×6) and Naseem Khushi for a duck to restrict them to 176/7 and they could not recover.
Maqshood went on to score 58 off 90 balls (5×4) but the wickets continued to fall all around him as Oman were all out for 188.
Smit was Namibias best bowler, taking 5/26 off nine overs, while Ruben Trumpelmann took 2/50 off 8,5 overs.
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