Allround Namibia hammer USA

Three-wicket hauls from Bernard Scholtz and JJ Smit followed by a resolute batting display from their batsmen headlined by Divan La Cock's 59 off 84 balls helped Namibia redeem themselves against USA in the final game of the series after enduring a heavy 71-run loss earlier in the week. USA bowling seemed toothless after a lukewarm batting performance that saw them limp to 211 with a 64-run 8th wicket stand.

USA got off to a sedate start as Sushant Modani carved out a few boundaries down the ground. Steven Taylor didn't trouble the scorers for long as JJ Smit found his outside edge with a diving Zane Green pulling off a screamer behind the wickets. Smit came back in his next over to induce an uppish on drive off Monank Patel to have USA wobbling at 40 for 2 at the end of the powerplay. Scholtz castled Modani with an accurate arm ball in the next over to make matters worse for USA. Aaron Jones and Gajanand Singh started the recovery work albeit at a slow rate. Scholtz came back in his second spell to trap Jones in front to further thwart USA.

Singh and Ian Holland stitched a 45 run partnership in the next 10 overs. The pair found some urgency and flair in their game, quite amiss with the top order. Just when USA looked poised to up the ante, Ruben Trumpelmann sent back Singh as he drove carelessly into cover's hands. Holland and Shayan Jahangir pummeled 5 boundaries in the next 2 overs against the run of play. Scholtz continued to be a thorn in USA's flesh, coming back in his 3rd spell to pin Holland in front. Jahangir was off to the hut in the space of the next three deliveries to have USA down in the doldrums at 147 for 7 in the 40th over. Left arm spin twins Nosthush Kenjige and Nisarg Patel took the mantle upon themselves to keep USA afloat in the game. Kenjige and Patel were plucky enough to pile up 64 crucial runs and teed off in the final 2 overs to plunder 29.

Namibia were let off the screws with some ordinary bowling and some enterprising batting by Divan la Cock. The pugnacious opener immediately put USA on the backfoot in a small chase with 4 boundaries off the first 2 overs. The pair of la Cock and Lo-handre Louwrens weathered off the new ball and put Namibia in the driver's seat with a 56-run opening stand. Jessy Singh found his reward for pursuing a nagging length with the wicket of Louwrens in the 17th over. Michael Van Lingen brought with him a flurry of boundaries which seemed to further drop the shoulders of USA.

While USA needed to conjure up a miracle in the field, they inexplicably dropped 3 regulation takes within 2 overs. La Cock rode the luck to bring up his half century off 72 balls. Holland ensured he didn't do that for too long as he thudded his pads in front after La Cock missed the ball with an ugly hoic. Holland kept reaping the benefits off channel bowling as he uprooted Van Lingen's middle stump in his next over. Gerhard Erasmus and Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton ensured no further quiver in the run chase with an 83-run stand to dash USA's hopes of sniffing around a victory.

Brief Scores: USA211 for 7 in 50 overs (Ian Holland 40; Bernard Scholtz 3-26, JJ Smit 3/35) lost to Namibia 212 for 4 in 44.4 overs (Divan la Cock 59, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton 43*; Ian Holland 2-36) by six wickets