USA posted a strong total of 199 after opting to bat first, riding on a crucial opening partnership and a late flourish from their middle order. In reply, Namibia were restricted to 168\/6 in 20 overs despite a fifty by Louren Steenkamp. <\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI thought it was a nice wicket. It turned out to be a really good scoring wicket. But we would have liked to also bat first and put some pressure on the ball. Unfortunately, it didn't go our way. I think that's the way it goes. You can't really control tosses, but you just play the game,\u201d Erasmus said after the match.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
He acknowledged the impact of the USA\u2019s top order, particularly the opening stand that laid the platform for a 199-run total. <\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cWe know it's a contest, bat and ball, and their batters played exceptionally well at the front. We tried to do as a top plan from the previous game. Unfortunately, our plan was quite tough to handle again. But yeah, credit goes to their pair.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Namibia did manage to claw their way back in the middle overs through disciplined bowling. \u201cMy bowlers rolled it up in the middle period and really bowled well to get us back in the game,\u201d he noted, highlighting the effort that briefly stalled USA\u2019s momentum.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The captain also had words of praise for leg-spinner Willem Myburgh, who impressed with his control. \u201cHe's got great control with his leggies. Such a nice skill to have in this format of the game, I guess. All the top bowlers in the world seem to be the exponents. And I hope he goes from strength to strength because it's such a vital asset to have.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Chasing 200, Namibia were well placed at the halfway stage but could not maintain the required tempo, and the captain feels that the lack of intent at the end caused problems for them.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The captain also had words of praise for leg-spinner Willem Myburgh, who impressed with his control. \u201cHe's got great control with his leggies. Such a nice skill to have in this format of the game, I guess. All the top bowlers in the world seem to be the exponents. And I hope he goes from strength to strength because it's such a vital asset to have.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
With this loss, Namibia is out of the Super 8 contention. They will play their last match against Pakistan on 18th February at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo.<\/p>\r\n\r\n