Bennett stars as Zimbabwe sink Namibia in T20I opener

WEB DESK: Zimbabwe produced a dominant all-round display to defeat Namibia by 33 runs in the opening T20I in Bulawayo, taking a 1-0 lead in the series.

After opting to bat, Zimbabwe made a steady start, reaching 23 without loss at the end of four overs. Openers Tadiwanashe Marumani and Brian Bennett mixed caution with aggression, picking boundaries in each over while rotating strike effectively. Namibia’s new-ball pair, JJ Smit and debutant Jack Brassell, bowled probing lines and found some movement, but the Zimbabwe openers looked composed. Marumani, with two crisp fours, moved to 12 off 14, while Bennett provided support with a boundary of his own.

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From there, the partnership flourished. Marumani accelerated, driving and pulling confidently to a half-century, while Bennett initially played the anchor before cutting loose with powerful strokes, including a six off Bernard Scholtz. Both reached their fifties in style, carrying Zimbabwe past 100 without loss. The opening stand swelled to 124 before Marumani holed out for 61, giving Namibia their first breakthrough in the 14th over. Bennett, however, continued the charge, falling agonisingly short of a maiden T20I ton with 94 off 51 balls. Cameos from Ryan Burl (22 off 9) and Sikandar Raza (23 off 11) powered Zimbabwe to a commanding 211/3.

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Namibia’s chase began brightly, with Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton and Jan Frylinck racing to 61 in the Powerplay. Loftie-Eaton’s counterattacking 30 kept Zimbabwe under pressure, but wickets at key moments swung the momentum. Blessing Muzarabani struck early, before Raza and Wellington Masakadza tightened the screws, removing Loftie-Eaton and Frylinck in quick succession. Captain Gerhard Erasmus tried to rebuild, while Zane Green’s inventive strokes gave Namibia hope. However, Brad Evans and Muzarabani chipped in with wickets, and despite late resistance from Green and Ruben Trumpelmann, Namibia were restricted to 178/7.

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Bennett’s match-winning knock earned him the Player of the Match award, as Zimbabwe’s batters set the platform and the bowlers did just enough to defend the total. The victory gives Zimbabwe the upper hand ahead of the second T20I, with Namibia needing to regroup quickly to keep the series alive.