Canadian men edge Namibia in ICC World Cup League 2 one-day cricket thriller
The one-day international in Windhoek, Namibia went to a deciding over when it finished in a tie. That meant both sides had six balls to add to their total, each nominating three batsman and one bowler.
JJ Smit and captain Gerhard Erasmus took the crease for Namibia with Kaleem Sana bowling for Canada. The Namibians scored zero, one (on a bye) and one with Smit caught on the fourth delivery.
That brought in Ruben Trumpelmann, who added one run off the fifth delivery. Swinging for the boundary, Erasmus was caught by Canada captain Nicholas Kirton on the final ball of the over with just three runs scored.
Needing four runs to win off Smit, Kirton and Singh made it with three balls to spare in the super over.
Kirton scored a single and Singh added a pair, leaving Canada with four balls to secure the winning run. Singh then hit a four to end the drama.
Canada moved into second place in the standings at 9-4-1 with 19 points, behind the U.S. (11-5-0, 22 points). Oman is third on 18 points and the Dutch fourth on 17. Namibia is sixth on 12 points.
The World League 2 features eight teams — also including Nepal, Oman, Scotland, the United Arab Emirates and the U.S., with each of the sides playing 36 one-day internationals spread across nine triangular series through December 2026.
The top four teams move on to a 10-country World Cup Qualifier that will send the last four teams to the 2027 World Cup.
The bottom four teams can also progress to the Qualifier but will have to get there via the Cricket World Cup Qualifier Playoff which includes the top four teams from the Cricket World Cup Challenge League.
Canada won promotion from the Cricket World Cup Qualifier Playoff.
Canada won the toss and elected to bat Sunday, finishing at 167 for eight in 39 overs at Wanderers Cricket Ground on a day when concerns over lightning limited play. Namibia was set a victory target of 175 according to the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method, which sets a @fair target for the chasing team in an interrupted game of one-day cricket.
Namibia needed 20 runs in its final three overs with just two wickets left. After conceding a four, Sana bowled Shaun Fouche to move one step closer to snuffing out the threat.
That left Namibia needing 16 runs off 16 balls with Dylan Leicher and Bernard Scholtz the last hopes at the crease. Namibia kept chipping away.
The home side required seven runs to win in its final over against Sana. Leicher, 20, was on the defensive for the first two balls, unable to score, but scored two off the third delivery and a four off the fourth.
That left Namibia with two balls to score one run for the win. Leicher was unable to make contact with the penultimate delver, leading the game to be decided by the last ball.
Leicher went for the winning run off a weak final hit but was run out by Sana with Namibia finishing at 174 for 10.
Canada opener Navneet Dhaliwal, named man of the match, led the way with 54 runs in 84 balls including three fours and three sixes. Harsh Thaker added 26 runs and fellow opener Yuvraj Samra contributed 24.
Erasmus led Namibia with 41 runs before being caught by wicketkeeper Shreyas Movva off a Dilon Heyliger delivery. Heyliger led Canada's bowlers with three wickets.
Canada's opening game of the triangular series against the Netherlands was abandoned Wednesday without a single ball played due to rain.
Canada faces the Netherlands on Tuesday and Namibia again next Saturday.
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