Africa-Press – Namibia. NAMIBIAN cricket has received more accolades for some exceptional performances during 2021, with Eagles captain Gerhard Erasmus and pace bowler Ruben Trumpelmann winning international awards.
Erasmus won the 2021 Associate Members’ best batting award, and Trumpelmann the Associate Members’ best bowling award in the 2021 international cricket awards, organised by the leading international cricketing website ESPNcricinfo.com
Erasmus’ award was specifically for his innings of 53 not out against Ireland at the T20 World Cup in Sharjah on 22 October 2021, when his determination and bravery, playing with a broken finger, helped turn the tide for Namibia in a match that they eventually won by eight wickets.
“His shot selection was limited by the injury-induced adjustment to his batting grip, but Erasmus forged ahead anyway, scoring an unbeaten 53 to take his side to the Super 12s (and book a place in the 2022 T20 World Cup),” ESPNcricinfo.com reported.
“It may not have been pretty, but the gutsy nature of the innings and its significance in the context of the tournament, while chasing a target of 126 on a low and slow wicket will be long remembered in Namibian cricket lore,” it added.
The key moment in his innings came at the start of the 13th over, according to the article.
“Namibia had gone five overs without a boundary and the required run rate had climbed above eight. Erasmus had yet to find the ropes in his innings, grimacing as he collected ones and twos. But at a moment when the chase was tilting toward Ireland, he wrested momentum back with a pair of boundaries off their best bowler, Josh Little,” it said.
“Erasmus started the 13th slicing a cut behind point with ferocity before finishing the over with a more delicate touch to pick out another boundary through third man. In pursuit of a low target, the sequence helped get Namibia’s chase back on track,” it added.
The other contenders that Erasmus beat to the award were his team mate David Wiese for his 66 not out against the Netherlands and Chris Greaves of Scotland for his 45 against Bangladesh.
Trumpelmann, meanwhile, won the ESPNcricinfo 2021 Associate bowling award for his brilliant spell against Scotland at the T20 World Cup in Abu Dhabi on 27 October 2021, when he took three wickets for 17 runs in Namibia’s four-wicket victory.
But more specifically it was his incredible first over that was singled out, during which he took three wickets in four balls to destroy Scotland’s top order and set Namibia on the way to victory.
“The 23-year-old Trumpelmann made the biggest mark with the ball during Namibia’s only win of the Super 12 stage with an opening over for the ages,” ESPNcricinfo reported.
“He struck three times in the first four balls, reeling in three of Scotland’s biggest fish in the top order: George Munsey, Calum MacLeod and Richie Berrington. To say that the rest of the match was anticlimactic would be a healthy understatement,” it added.
According to the report, the key moment was when Trumpelmann dismissed Scotland captain Richie Berrington.
“The wickets of Munsey and MacLeod may look bigger on paper given their reputations in short-form cricket, but Berrington was arguably the biggest blow,” it stated.
“Entering the match, Scotland’s stand-in captain had scored 373 runs in the year in T20 internationals at an average of 62,16 in nine innings with three fifties. But Trumpelmann trapped him on the crease with a full in-swinger to ensure Scotland were not going to be able to recover from the big hole they found themselves in just one over into the match,” it added.
The other nominees that Trumpelmann beat to the award were his team mate JJ Smit, who took five wickets for 26 runs against Oman in a Cricket World Cup League 2 match in Windhoek on 26 November 2021, and Nepal leg spinner Sandeep Lamichhane, who took six wickets for 11 runs against Papua New Guinea in a One Day International match in Al Amerat, Oman on 10 September 2021.
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