Ruben Trumpelmann set the tone for the encounter with an inswinging beauty to trap Kashyap Prajapati plumb in front, followed by a toe-crushing delivery to dismiss Aqib Ilyas for a golden duck. In his next over, the seasoned pacer had the hard-hitting Naseem Khushi caught at mid-off, leaving Oman in deep trouble early on.
Former captain Zeeshan Maqsood attempted to stabilize the innings with some streaky shots, guiding Oman to 36/3 by the end of the powerplay. However, Bernard Scholtz’s sharp turn sent Maqsood back to the dugout.
Namibia allowed no room for recovery as their spinners and pacers effectively utilized the two-paced pitch with disciplined lines and lengths. Trumpelmann finished with career-best figures of 4/21, Erasmus’s off-breaks earned him two wickets, and globetrotter David Wiese chipped in with three scalps, bowling out the Asian side for a subpar 109 in the final over.
In response, Namibia’s start was equally shaky as Bilal Khan’s outswinger outdid Michael van Lingen on just the second delivery. Oman capitalized on the early breakthrough, restricting Namibia to 32/1 in the powerplay. Nikolaas Davin’s 31-ball 24 ended in the ninth over after a 42-run stand. However, Jan Frylinck ensured the required run rate remained manageable, regularly finding boundaries even as skipper Erasmus fell for a run-a-ball 13 in the 15th over.
Just when it seemed Frylinck had steered Namibia to safety, Mehran Khan produced a wicket-maiden 18th over, leaving the batters needing 14 runs. A trademark David Wiese heave put Namibia back in control, but Mehran struck twice in the final over to restore the balance. On the last ball, the Eagles sneaked a bye as keeper Khushi missed the stumps, sending the game to a Super Over.
— Jackson Hernandez (@JHernandez9286) June 3, 2024
— Jackson Hernandez (@JHernandez9286) June 3, 2024
Oman inexplicably handed the Kookaburra to Bilal instead of Mehran, and the experienced pair of Wiese and Erasmus exploited the opportunity, smashing 21 runs off the over. Wiese then delivered with the ball, conceding just 10 runs to secure Namibia a famous victory in the first T20 World Cup Super Over since 2012.
