USA best Namibia to claim pole position in CWC Qualifier Play-Off

A dominant performance from the United States to claim an emphatic 80-run win over a depleted Namibia side in the tournament curtain-raiser at Wanderers Ground in Windhoek put the Americans in pole position on the opening day of the CWC World Cup Qualifier Play-Off.

The USA had been on the back foot early, losing two quick wickets after being put in to bat by the hosts, but Gajanand Singh led the recovery with a fighting half-century before Nostush Kenjige produced a late flourish at the death to take the tourists to a competitive 231-9. Ali Khan then struck twice in two balls in the second over to put the States on top, and though Shaun Fouche marshalled some resistance with support from Gerhard Erasmus and Nicol Loftie Eaton, the American spin section ensured Namibia never got back in control of the chase. The climbing asking rate saw an increasingly desperate home lower order subside with increasing rapidity. The hosts were eventually bowled out for 151 in the 42nd over.

Ben Shikongo set the home fans cheering claiming two wickets in his first over, Stephen Taylor offering up his wicket driving to Erasmus at mid off, before Monank Patel was served an unplayable late inswinger third ball that took his off stump. Sushant Modani looked to rebuild with Aaron Jones, the pair adding a half century partnership for the third wicket before Modani cut Fouche to backward point just before drinks. Jones, having launched Bernhard Scholtz over long on earlier in the day, was caught on the rope trying to do the same to Pikky Ya France soon after the break before Ruben Trumpelmann took two in succession, spearing one through the gate to remove Shayan Jahangir for 5 before trapping Nisarg Patel on the back pad in his next over.

At 150-7 Namibia looked on course to hold USA to under 200, but Gajanand Singh weathered the storm however, finding support in Jesse Singh as the pair looked to salvage the innings. Gajanand recaptured the initiative just before drinks, twice sweeping Ya France over the midwicket rope. The revival lasted as far as the 36th over, Gajanand bringing up his fifty with a couple off Ya France before being bowled off his pads six balls later looking to lift Fouche over the on side. Jesse Singh pressed on with Nostush Kenjige, the pair adding another 26 runs for the 8th wicket but likewise fell to Fouche as he looked to hit out at the back end, holing out on the midwicket rope for 33.

The hosts injury-ravaged attack would tell against them however, as Nostush Kenjige provided a late flourish in the final over, twice taking Shikongo over long on to start the over, the second off a no ball as he plundered 21 runs off the first half of the over before picking out the man in the deep for a run-a-ball 43. Kenjige's late hitting rather stilled the healthy Wanderers crowd before lunch, but a target of 232 still looked eminently gettable on a comparatively placid surface.

It looked a lot less gettable once Ali Khan got the new ball in hand. Swinging the new ball at considerable pace, Khan struck twice in his first over castling Niko Davin and pinning Michael van Lingen in front of leg with consecutive deliveries. Khan's hostile opening spell coupled with Sauhahb Netravalkar's economy quickly put Namibia behind the game, and the pressure soon told. Erasmus holed out off Nisarg Patel for 36 looking to clear long off, and just as Fouche and Loftie Eaton seemed to be dragging the hosts back into the game, Khan returned to break the stand, Loftie-Eaton miscuing a low full toss straight up to go for 28. Fouche completed his dogged half-century before being bowled by Netravalkar soon after the second drinks break, and there was little to cheer for the home fans thereafter as Nisarg Patel and Jessy Singh ran through the tail in short order.

The win puts the USA in a strong position in the race for the two berths at the World Cup Qualifier, but as Erasmus remarked after the match, there is plenty of cricket still to play. Both sides can now look forward to two days off as the UAE take on Papua New Guinea at Wanderers tomorrow while Jersey are set to play their debut in full-status ODIs, facing Canada at TrusCo United.