Namibia stages dramatic comeback to edge Canada in World Cup League 2 cricket play

The Canadian Press

· Posted: Mar 15, 2025 2:51 PM EDT | Last Updated: 8 minutes ago

Namibia rallied for a melodramatic comeback to decision Canada by 12 runs successful ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2 play Saturday.

The one-day planetary successful Windhoek — Namibia's capital — featured respective shifts successful momentum arsenic Canada, its inning halted temporarily by rain, chased a reduced triumph people of 167 successful 43 overs according to the Duckworth-Lewis-Stein formula. Namibia had finished astatine 186 each retired successful 49 overs.

Canada looked poised to triumph aft its 2 openers combined for 79 runs. But with 5 overs to play, Canada needed 35 runs with 5 wickets to spare.

That was reduced to 16 runs disconnected the last 12 balls with conscionable 2 wickets remaining arsenic Namibia came on.

Canada was reduced to 1 wicket near erstwhile Shahid Ahmadzai was caught down connected 2 with Canada astatine 154 for nine. That brought connected No. 11 batsman Parveen Kumar, who was reduced to gripping the bat with 1 manus owed to a digit injury.

He lasted conscionable 2 balls earlier being judged retired leg-before-wicket. An unhappy Kumar, disputing the umpire's decision, threw his bat successful the aerial successful disgust arsenic helium near the crease.

Canada finished astatine 154 each retired successful 49 overs with Namibian skipper Gerhard Erasmus, named subordinate of the match, taking 4 wickets.

Namibia won the flip and elected to bat astatine Wanderers Cricket Ground. J.P. Kotze led the batting onslaught with 48 runs with Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton contributing 47 and Nikolaas David 33.

Kaleem Sana and Shahid Ahmadzai some took 4 wickets for Canada.

In response, Canadian teenage batsman Yuvraj Samra scored his archetypal one-day planetary half-century successful a 79-run opening concern with Navneet Dhaliwal.

Dhaliwal was the archetypal to spell connected 25 runs from 54 balls including 4 fours. Samra, 18, was past caught down connected 53 aft a 74-ball sound that featured 4 sixes and 2 fours.

Canada slipped from 79 with nary outs to 102 for 4 arsenic Namibia fought back.

Canada was 91 for 3 erstwhile the umpires halted play owed to rain, for the 2nd time, successful the 28th over. When the teams returned, Canada was fixed its revised triumph target.

Namibia removed Harsh Thaker with the archetypal shot upon the teams' return, bowled by Loftie-Eaton. Celebrating his 24th birthday, the Namibian bowler did a cartwheel to people the wicket.

Canada edged the Namibians past Sunday successful a crippled that went to a deciding ace implicit erstwhile it finished successful a tie. But Canada's 2 games against the Netherlands were abandoned without a shot being played owed to inclement weather.

3rd spot successful standings

Canada fell to 9-5-0 with 2 no-results successful 3rd spot successful the standings down the U.S. and the Netherlands. Namibia stands sixth astatine 7-13-0

The World League 2 features 8 teams — besides including Nepal, Oman, Scotland and the United Arab Emirates — with each broadside playing 36 one-day internationals dispersed crossed 9 triangular bid done December 2026.

The apical 4 teams determination connected to a 10-country World Cup Qualifier that volition nonstop the past 4 teams to the 2027 World Cup.

The bottommost 4 teams tin besides advancement to the qualifier but volition person to get determination via the Cricket World Cup Qualifier Playoff which includes the apical 4 teams from the Cricket World Cup Challenge League.

Canada won promotion to World League 2 from the Cricket World Cup Qualifier Playoff. It sits successful 2nd spot successful the World League 2 standings astatine 9-4 with 2 no-results with 20 points, down the U.S. (11-5, 22 points).

The Netherlands and Oman some person 18 points.