T20 World Cup 2022: UAE survive David Wiese scare to win by 7 runs, Netherlands qualify for Super 12
Namibia lost the match by seven runs despite Wiese's heroic 55-run knock.
United Arab Emirates (UAE) completed a close victory over Namibia in their last first-round match of the T20 World Cup 2022. Namibia batters failed to chase down a total of 148 runs by the barest of margins and now both teams are out of the competition.
Speaking about the match, UAE won the toss and opted to have a bat first on a slow-looking Geelong wicket. A decent start was provided by UAE openers including Muhammad Waseem and Vriitya Aravind. However, both batters were struggling to hit boundaries.
Aravind, in a bid to accelerate the scoring rate, perished a few overs after the field restrictions. He took 32 deliveries and scored 21 runs which included two boundaries. Waseem was then joined by the skipper Chundangapoyil Rizwan as the duo stitched a very crucial partnership and took their team's total near the 100-run mark.
However, Waseem got out right after he completed his fifty. UAE then suffered another quick blow after Alishan Sharafu went back to the pavilion after scoring just four runs. Rizwan then found an able partner in form of Basil Hameed as both of them ensured that the batting side reach near the 150-run mark.
While the captain Rizwan remained unbeaten on 43 runs, Hameed also played a precious unbeaten knock of 25 runs in just 14 balls, smashing two fours and two sixes. For Namibia, David Wiese, Bernard Scholtz, and Ben Shikongo took one wicket each.
Namibia batters failed to get going with the bat
In reply, Namibia batters failed to get going with the bat as they continually lost wickets. The likes of Michael van Lingen, the skipper Gerhard Erasmus, and Jan Frylinck managed to reach the double-figure mark but all three of them failed to capitalize on the start they got.
The match went right down to the wire with Namibia requiring 46 runs in the last four overs of the match and UAE requiring three wickets. For Namibia, batters David Wiese and Ruben Trumpelmann were at the crease.
Both Wiese and Trumpelmann batted out of their skins and hit boundaries in almost every last four remaining overs. It all came down to 10 runs being required in the last three balls of the match. However, Wiese who was playing on 55 runs lost his balance while playing a lofted shot as fielder Alishan Sharafu completed a sensational catch to seal the game for his team.
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