Namibia and Netherlands look to turn things around
Both teams got their ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021 campaigns off to a rocky start in heavy defeats in their opening games. With just two matchdays left in the group, both sides need quick turnarounds to qualify for the next stage.
The Netherlands were blown away by Curtis Campher's four wickets in four balls and were only able to crawl to 106 against Ireland and were unable to conjure a comeback with the ball. Namibia meanwhile were bowled out for a sub-100 score by Sri Lanka, who went on to register a seven-wicket win.
The fixture offers an intriguing contest with Netherlands 'greatest squad ever' taking on what is considered Namibia's golden generation of cricketers, and as Netherlands coach Ryan Campbell said: "Us little fellas, the Netherlands and Namibia, we may be here to make up the group but let me tell you, we’ve got a bit of fight about us."
With the threat of early elimination hanging over the two teams, the 'fight' that Campbell was referring to will have to come to the fore in Match 7.
Being the winners of the ICC T20 World Cup qualifiers from 2019 along with some big tournament experience under their belt, the expectations on Netherlands will be to snuff out a win and for that they will be looking towards veterans Ryan ten Doeschate and Roelof van der Merwe to bring their A-game after the duo missed out against Ireland. Similarly for Namibia, their most high profile player, David Wiese, didn’t offer anything of note and would be aiming to turn things around on Wednesday. One of the positives for Namibia was captain Gerhard Erasmus’ time in the middle with the bat, scoring 20 (19) in an innings of 97.
Fixture details
- Match: Namibia v Netherlands
- Time: 14:00 local time on Monday 20 October
- Venue: Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
For Namibia the option to bring in Michael van Lingen will always be appealing. Van Lingen, who first made waves in the U-19 World Cup of 2016, has remained a highly rated left-arm bowler possessing more than decent ability with the bat. However, with the kind of depth the squad enjoys, it is always going to be a challenge to break into the XI. Namibia’s batters didn’t turn up against Sri Lanka but their fielding was excellent, while the bowling depth allows them to shuffle around a few players.
Possible Namibia playing XI*: Stephen Baard, Zane Green, Craig Williams, Gerhard Erasmus, JJ Smit, David Wiese, Nicol Loftie-Eaton/Michael Van Lingen, Jan Frylinck, Ruben Trumpelmann, Pikky Ya France, Bernard Scholtz*
**Netherlands’**batting let them down in the opening match, which could prompt a temptation to call upon the experience of Stephan Myburgh, who may come in right at the top of the order, pushing Ben Cooper to number three with Bas de Leede making way.
Possible Netherlands playing XI*: Stephan Myburgh, Max O’Dowd, Ben Cooper, Colin Ackermann, Ryan ten Doeschate, Roelof van der Merwe, Scott Edwards, Pieter Seelar, Paul van Meekeren, Fred Klaasen, Timm van der Gugten/Brandon Glover*
Expect the class and experience of Ryan ten Doeschate to come good in crunch games, like Wednesday's. Netherlands’ greatest ever player, the 41-year-old will be eager to leave an impression in what is to be his farewell tourney for the Dutch. He might not have played a lot of international cricket of late but the former Essex captain is too good an asset to be ignored.
Considering the rich vein of form that Craig Williams has been in this year, he is one of the most important players in Namibia’s batting line up. With 288 runs in 7 T20Is at a strike rate of 131.50, including four 50+ scores in 2021, the onus will be once again on him to deliver for Namibia in the key encounter. He was also Namibia’s top-scorer (29) in the tie against Sri Lanka. His ability with the ball cannot be discounted either
Captaincy Pick - JJ Smit
The in-form all-rounder from Namibia should be the top captaincy pick for this match. He has three 30+ scores in his last six T20I innings and has also picked up four wickets in those matches. Apart from his recent form, his general performance in the format has been fairly consistent, as evidenced by his bowling strike rate of 15 & batting strike rate of 151 in 19 T20Is.
Must-have - Max O’Dowd
The Netherlands opening batter scored a very important knock of 51 runs in the opening match against Ireland and was in great form leading into the mega tournament as well. His average of 55.7 in 5 T20Is played in 2021 makes him a must-have in any fantasy team.
What will a win mean for Namibia/Netherlands?
In simplistic terms, a win will allow either side to keep their tournament fate in their own hands.
A loss would significantly affect their qualifying hopes but need not necessarily close the doors for them. The permutation and combination would only be clear or get complicated after the evening fixture between Ireland and Sri Lanka.