Now Reading: Frylinck Fires as Namibia Stun Ireland to Take 2-1 Series Lead
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Frylinck Fires as Namibia Stun Ireland to Take 2-1 Series Lead
Namibia now lead the ODI series. Jan Frylinck’s brilliant 126 set up a commanding 63-run win over Ireland in Windhoek on Tuesday, and Curtis Campher’s heroic century could not rescue the tourists. Ireland trail 2-1 with two games to play.
Namibia Take Control of the Series
Ireland are now 2-1 behind in the five-match one-day international series. They lost the third meeting by 63 runs and were all out for 253 while chasing 316-7.
The setback was made worse by an injury to captain Paul Stirling. He hurt his finger in the field during Namibia’s innings and was unable to bat.
Match Snapshot
| Team | Score | Overs |
|---|---|---|
| Namibia | 316-7 | 50 |
| Ireland | 253 all out | 44.5 |
| Result: Namibia won by 63 runs | ||
Frylinck and Erasmus Rebuild After a Shaky Start
Namibia won the toss and chose to bat. Opener Louren Steenkamp fell for 13, leaving the hosts on 33-1.
Malan Kruger then departed for 42, and Namibia were 81-2. The innings was at a crossroads.
Frylinck and captain Gerhard Erasmus responded with a third-wicket partnership of 101. Erasmus made 54, while Frylinck went on to top-score with 126 and gave his side the platform they needed.
Alex Volschenk added a quick 36 to push Namibia to a testing total. Campher and Andy McBrine were the pick of Ireland’s bowlers, with two wickets each.
Namibia Batting Highlights
| Batter | Runs |
|---|---|
| Jan Frylinck | 126 |
| Gerhard Erasmus | 54 |
| Malan Kruger | 42 |
| Alex Volschenk | 36 |
Campher Keeps Ireland Alive, but Not for Long
Ireland’s chase started badly and they slumped to 56-4. A comfortable Namibia win looked likely.
Campher had other ideas. He made 106 off 86 balls and gave Ireland a real chance of what had looked an improbable victory.
Wickets kept falling at regular intervals, though, and the pressure told. Ireland were bowled out in the 45th over with 31 balls unused.
Namibia’s Bowlers Share the Spoils
Bernard Scholtz, Ruben Trumpelmann and Jack Brassell each took two wickets. Scholtz was the most economical, finishing with 2-31, and Trumpelmann followed with 2-37.
| Bowler | Wickets-Runs |
|---|---|
| Bernard Scholtz | 2-31 |
| Ruben Trumpelmann | 2-37 |
| Jack Brassell | 2-72 |
Ireland’s Bowlers
| Bowler | Wickets-Runs |
|---|---|
| Andy McBrine | 2-53 |
| Curtis Campher | 2-68 |
What Comes Next
The series is far from over. The sides meet again on Friday and Sunday as Ireland continue their preparations for next year’s World Cup qualifiers.
Ireland will want to know how serious Stirling’s finger injury is. They will also hope more batters can support Campher, whose century came in a losing cause.
Namibia, meanwhile, have momentum and a hero in Frylinck. With two matches left, the hosts are one win away from taking the series.
For Ireland, the equation is simple: win at least one of the remaining games to stay in the contest, and win both to claim the series.
