Namibia 3-2 Zimbabwe: A look back at the Eagles' history-making series
First T20I: Zimbabwe won by 7 runs
After winning the toss and opting to bat first, Craig Ervine played a captain's knock, scoring 55* off 39 balls that propelled Zimbabwe to 153/4 in the first match. Bernard Scholtz bowled an economical spell of 2/19, which included the wicket of the dangerous Wesley Madhevere (23 off 12).
Openers Craig Williams and Divan la Cock got Namibia off to a solid start with a 67-run stand. The latter scored 66 off 43 but kept losing partners at the other end. Zimbabwe bowlers brilliantly in the death overs and despite David Wiese remaining unbeaten at the other end, Namibia fell short by 7 runs.
Tendai Chatara defends 15 runs in the final over as Namibia fall short by seven runs in the first #ZIMvNAM T20I π
— ICC (@ICC) May 17, 2022
π https://t.co/giplpA97U2 pic.twitter.com/aBp55ONah0
Second T20I: Namibia won by 8 wickets
Opting to bat first yet again did not work out as well for Zimbabwe this time around as they lost half their side for 49. Milton Shumba and Tony Munyonga saved the hosts the blushes with a 46-run stand for the sixth wicket that took Zimbabwe to 122/8. Wiese was the star with the ball for the Eagles with figures of 3/27.
In response, Namibia lost Divan la Cock early but cruised to a victory on the back of Craig Williams' unbeaten 62 and skipper Gerhard Erasmus' 26-ball 36.
Namibia win the second T20I by eight wickets and level the five-match series 1-1 π#ZIMvNAM | https://t.co/YtHfsG4sqr | πΈ @ZimCricketv pic.twitter.com/2vzYv1flef
— ICC (@ICC) May 19, 2022
Third T20I: Zimbabwe won by 8 wickets
After choosing to bat first in the third T20I, Namibia's middle-order was guilty of throwing away good starts. Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Gerhard Erasmus and Zane Green all scored 20 or more but failed to convert their starts. Tendai Chatara and Sikandar Raza scalped three wickets with ease to reduce Namibia to 128/8.
Chasing a meagre total, Madhevere batted through the innings and remained unbeaten on 73. He was well supported by Regis Chakabva (24*) and Innocent Kaia (19). Zimbabwe chased down the total with 17 balls to spare, taking 2-1 lead in the series.
Zimbabwe take a 2-1 series lead against Namibia π
— ICC (@ICC) May 21, 2022
Wesley Madhevere led the charge with an unbeaten 73 as the hosts made light work of their target of 129.#ZIMvNAM pic.twitter.com/tt8hvJwNwn
Fourth T20I: Namibia win by 6 wickets
In a do-or-die match, Namibia opted to chase in the fourth T20I. Madhevere continued his sublime form with his second fifty in a row before a middle-order collapse gave Namibia a chance to finish the innings off early. Richmond Mutumbami and Luke Jongwe, however, scored crucial runs in the death to set the Eagles a target of 158.
Namibia lost two wickets in the Powerplay but fifties from Michael van Lingen (51) and Gerhard Erasmus (59*) lifted the team. It went to the last ball of the match, with Namibia needing one run to level the series. Zane Green smashed the final ball for a four to force the series into a decider.
All to play for the final T20I as Namibia draw the series 2-2 by clinching a last-ball thriller in the fourth #ZIMvNAM match π₯
— ICC (@ICC) May 22, 2022
πΈ: @ZimCricketv pic.twitter.com/IeONWxdA38
Fifth T20I: Namibia won by 32 runs
Putting Namibia into bat in the series decider, Zimbabwe restricted the visitors to 127/8. Williams was the lone warrior in the innings with a 39-ball 48 as the rest of the batting crumbled. Jongwe, Madhevere and Raza picked up two wickets each to set Zimbabwe a gettable total to win the series.
Namibia, though, were not going to go down without a fight as they ran through half of Zimbabwe's batting order inside the first 10 overs. Left needing 69 off the last 10 with five wickets in hand, Tony Munyonga fought hard with his innings of 28 but perished to the pressure of the asking rate.
Zimbabwe were bundled out for just 95, as Namibia clinched the series 3-2 in a low-scoring final game and made history.