Africa-Press – Namibia. THE Namibian Eagles got off to a winning start in their 50-over series against Hong Kong when they comfortably won their first match by 65 runs at the United field on Sunday.
After being sent in to bat Namibia got off to a solid start as they amassed a formidable 332 runs for five wickets off their 50 overs.
Zane Green and Lohan Louwrens shared an opening stand of 77 before Green was dismissed for 46 off 56 balls (7×4, 1×6).
Michael van Lingen didn’t last long, scoring eight, but the rest of Namibia’s top order batsmen weighed in with some solid contributions.
Louwrens was dismissed for 54 off 77 balls, Gerhard Erasmus scored 53 off 54 balls, Nicol Loftie-Eaton top-scored with 74 off 60 balls (9×4, 2×6), JJ Smit scored a rapid 62 not out off only 39 balls (6×4, 3×6), and Ruben Trumpelmann scored 23 not out off nine balls Namibia amassed a sizeable total.
Ehsan Khan was Hong Kong’s top bowler, taking two wickets for 55 runs.
Ruben Trumpelmann got an early breakthrough in Hong Kong’s innings when he dismissed Khan for on e run, but Nizakat Khan (79 off 100 balls) and Babar Hayat (54 off 70) got the visitors back on track with a 76-run partnership.
Trumpelmann once again got the breakthrough, dismissing Hayat for 54, but Yasim Murtaza maintained Hong Kong’s challenge with a 91-run partnership with Nizakat Khan.
Tangeni Lungameni however made the breakthrough, dismissing Khan for 72 which came off 55 balls.
That was the last of Hong Kong’s resistance as Namibia’s bowlers cut through their middle order before the whole team was out for 267 runs, still 65 runs short of the target.
Trumpelmann was Namibia’s top bowler, taking four wickets for 31 runs, while Smit took 2/31 and Lungameni 2/56.
The second of their three-match series takes place on Thursday.
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