GEELONG, August 17 – Namibia pulled off a stunning upset in the opening match of the T20 World Cup, defeating Sri Lanka by 55 runs at Symonds Stadium.
Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bowl first, but Namibia took full advantage of the opportunity. Despite early setbacks, the underdogs posted a strong total of 163 for 7 in 20 overs, thanks to late fireworks from Jan Frylinck (44 off 28) and JJ Smit (31 off 16).
Earlier in the innings, Namibia had struggled at 35 for 3. Still, contributions from captain Gerhard Erasmus and Michael van Lingen Baard helped stabilise the scoreboard before the lower order lifted the run rate.
Chasing 164, Sri Lanka’s innings collapsed under pressure. Openers Pathum Nissanka (9) and Kusal Mendis (6) fell cheaply, while Danushka Gunathilaka was dismissed for a duck, and Dhananjaya de Silva managed just 12. Middle-order hopes rested on Bhanuka Rajapaksa (20) and captain Dasun Shanaka (29), but once they were dismissed, Sri Lanka had no answers and crumbled to defeat.
Namibia’s bowlers were relentless. David Wiese (2/16), Bernard Scholtz (2/18), Ben Shikongo (2/22), and Jan Frylinck (2/26) all claimed two wickets each, while Smit added one and kept things tight with just 16 runs conceded in three overs.
The emphatic win signalled Namibia’s growing presence on the world stage, proving they are no longer cricket minnows but a force capable of toppling giants.
