Frylinck stars as Namibia beat Canada by five wickets in WCL2 clash

WEB DESK: Namibia clinched a crucial five-wicket win over Canada in the 79th match of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 (2023–27) at Maple Leaf North-West Ground (A) on Wednesday, chasing down a target of 220 with 10 balls to spare.

Namibia’s chase was anchored by Jan Frylinck, who produced a match-winning innings of 114 off 146 balls, earning him the Player of the Match award. Frylinck held the innings together, finding support from skipper Gerhard Erasmus and JJ Smit as Namibia reached 220 for five in 48.2 overs.

Earlier, Canada, who were sent in to bat after losing the toss, managed 219 runs before being bowled out. The innings was marked by starts but lacked a big score, with Nicholas Kirton and Shreyas Movva making useful contributions. Namibia’s bowling attack, led by Ruben Trumpelmann and Bernard Scholtz, ensured Canada could not accelerate in the middle overs.

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The game produced a total aggregate of 439 runs, the highest-ever in ODIs between Canada and Namibia.

The result was significant in the context of the League 2 standings. Canada, who had entered the match in fifth position with nine wins and nine losses from 20 games, missed an opportunity to consolidate their mid-table position. Namibia, placed sixth with seven wins from as many outings before this fixture, strengthened their push to climb the rankings with this much-needed victory.

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The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 serves as a qualification pathway for the 2027 World Cup. Both teams will be eager to find greater consistency as the tournament progresses.