SAINT GEORGE (Antigua and Barbuda): Harry Brook’s staggering performance helped England clinch a 41-run win over Namibia in the T20 World Cup 2024 match at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium here.
As rain played spoilsport, the toss was delayed and later the game was reduced to a 10-over match. After winning the toss, Namibia won the toss and opted to bowl.
Philip Salt (11 runs from 8 balls, 2 fours) and Jos Buttler (0 runs from 4 balls) failed to give England a fiery kickstart in the game after both the openers were removed from the crease by the third over. Ruben Trumpelmann bagged the first wicket of the inning as he bagged Buttler’s wicket in the second over. Just in the next over, David Wiese removed Salt from the crease.
Later in the match, Jonny Bairstow (31 runs from 18 balls, 3 fours and 2 sixes) and Harry Brook (47 runs from the 20 balls, 4 fours and 2 sixes) helped the Three Lions comeback in a better after adding a few crucial runs on the scoreboard. Brook played with a strike rate of 235.00 and troubled Namibia’s bowling attack.
In the eighth over, Bernard Scholtz bagged Bairstow’s wicket, however, that did not stop England from scoring as Moeen Ali (16 runs from 6 balls, 2 sixes) and Liam Livingstone (13 runs from 4 balls, 2 sixes) played a blitz knock and powered England to 122/5.
Trumpelmann led the Namibian bowling attack as he bagged two wickets and gave 31 runs in his two-over spell. Wiese and Scholtz picked up one wicket each in their respective spells.
During the run chase, Michael van Lingen (33 runs from 29 balls, 1 four and 3 sixes) and Nikolaas Davin (18 runs from 16 balls, 1 four and 1 six) gave a powerful start to the underdogs. Everything was going fine for Namibia but after Davin’s injury for which he had to leave the crease, everything changed for them.
Chris Jordan made the first breakthrough of the match after he removed van Lingen in the ninth over. David Wiese (27 runs from 12 balls, 2 fours and 2 sixs) tried to help Namibia get back on track but Jofra Archer removed the all-rounder in the 10th over and gave England a crucial 41-run win in the T20 World Cup 2024.
Jofra Archer and Chris Jordan were the only wicket-takers for England in the second inning. Harry Brook was named the Player of the Match after he scored a stupendous knock in the first inning.
Brief score: England 122/5 (Harry Brook 47*, Jonny Bairstow 31, Moeen Ali 16; Ruben Trumpelmann 2/31) beat Namibia 84/3 (Michael van Lingen 33, David Wiese 27, Nikolaas Davin 18; Jofra Archer 1/18). (ANI)