New Zealand has played 3 games. They were again Pakistan, India and Scotland. They lost against Pakistan by 5 wickets, won against India and Scotland by 8 wickets and 16 runs respectively. On the other hand, Namibia has won only 1 match in Super 12 so far. The win came against Scotland by 4 wickets. They lost against Afghanistan and Pakistan by 62 runs and 45 runs respectively.
Namibia, the country located to the northwest of South Africa, qualified to play the World T20 for the first time by finishing in the Top-4 of group standings in the 2019 World T20 Qualifier. With that, they also got ensured of automatic qualification for the subsequent 2022 World T20 to be held in Australia. In the Round 1, Namibia got defeated by Sri Lanka but then they turned around the campaign by beating the Netherlands and then the favourites, Ireland to advance to the Super-12 stage.
This match is also the first time the two teams are meeting at an international stage in any format. They have never played against each other in any international format of cricket till date.
Key Performers: -
For New Zealand, it is undoubtedly the pacer Trent Boult who has been carrying his consistent form for quite a long time. With an ability to take wickets & concede runs miserly, he can be a crucial factor for the team in today's game.
For Namibia, David Wiese is the heartbeat. The team looks at him for advice or suggestion even if he is not the captain as he has vast experience of playing franchise T20 cricket as well as international experience of playing for South Africa. Namibia has 3 left-arm pacers Rubel Trumpelmann, Jan Frylinck and JJ Smit, who can trouble the New Zealand batting line-up.
Pitch Report: -
The pitch in Sharjah is a two-paced surface hence batsmen may find it difficult to play their shots. Batsmen will have to be patient as strike rotation is going to be the most important aspect in this match. To judge the pace of the ball becomes difficult here for the batsmen as some of the deliveries hold up while some come along with the expected pace. Both spinners and pacers will relish wickets with the sort of help from the surface. The dew factor wouldn't play a huge role as there will be no dew. So, expect some bowling prowess from both the teams under the hot, scorching sun!
Expected Playing XI: -
New Zealand: - Martin Guptill, Daryl Mitchell, Kane Williamson (c), Devon Conway (wk), Glenn Phillips, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult, Adam Milne.
Namibia: - Craig Williams, Zane Green (wk), Gerhard Erasmus (c), David Wiese, Michael van Lingen, JJ Smit, Jan Frylinck, Pikky Ya France, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Ruben Trumpelmann, Bernard Scholtz.
Dream XI Fantasy Team: -
