T20 World Cup: Frylinck, Smit's Brave Knocks Help Namibia Total 163/7 Against Sri Lanka
Big-hitting fireworks from Jan Frylinck and JJ Smit helped Namibia post a competitive 163/7 in 20 overs of their opening ICC Men's T20 WC against Sri Lanka.
Electing to bowl first, Sri Lanka made good use of the breeze and tennis-ball bounce offered by a two-paced pitch with some tight bowling to leave Namibia in trouble at 93/6 in 14.2 overs. But Smit (31 not out) joined Frylinck (44) at the crease and the duo added 70 runs in the next 34 balls to take Namibia to 163/7.
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Namibia had a shaky start, losing both their openers Michael van Lingen and Divan la Cock in the first three overs. Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton made a sparkling 20 before falling to a wonderful catch from Kusal Mendis with the score being 43/3 at the end of the power-play.
Stephen Baard (26) and captain Gerhard Erasmus (20) were involved in a fifty partnership but were dismissed in quick succession in the middle overs. When fast-bowling all-rounder David Wiese perished for a golden duck against Maheesh Theekshana (1/23), it looked like Namibia would crumble before Frylinck and Smit engineered a rescue act.
The duo targeted Sri Lanka's wayward bowling at the back end of the innings by targeting the shorter side of the ground for boundaries and ran hard for a lot of twos with the help of the longer side.
For Sri Lanka, star leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga (1/27) bowled well during the middle overs. The economy rates of Theekshana and Hasaranga were below seven, while the economy rates of Dushmantha Chameera (1/39), Pramod Madushan (2/37) and Chamika Karunaratne (1/36) were above nine.
Also Read: T20 WC Schedule & squads 2022
Brief Scores: Namibia 163/7 in 20 overs (Jan Frylinck 44, JJ Smit 31 not out; Maheesh Theekshana 1/23, Wanindu Hasaranga 1/27) against Sri Lanka.
