Namibia overpower Ireland in series decider
Namibia beat Ireland by five wickets in the fifth and deciding one-day international in Windhoek, winning the series 3-2. Ireland’s defeat matters as the team prepares for a Cricket World Cup qualifier in Namibia next February, while captain Lorcan Tucker said the series had provided lessons to take forward.
Ireland were dismissed for 129 in 33.1 overs after choosing to bat; Jordan Neill top-scored with 33, while Namibia’s JJ Smit took four wickets for 20 runs. Namibia reached 131 for five in 21.2 overs, with Louren Steenkamp making 46 and Gerhard Erasmus adding 30. Tucker said Namibia had shown how to bat at the top of the order and bowl through the middle overs.
In short
- Namibia beat Ireland by five wickets in Windhoek.
- The hosts won the five-match series 3-2.
- Smit took four wickets as Ireland made 129.
Explained simply
A one-day international, or ODI, is a limited-overs form of cricket in which each side bats once, with a set number of overs to score runs. A series is a group of matches between the same teams; the team that wins more matches takes the series.
Ireland and Namibia are both competing to qualify for the Cricket World Cup, and Namibia will host a qualifying tournament next February. The matches between them offer both teams a chance to test their batting and bowling ahead of that event.