Zimbabwe Under-19s through to Super Six

Zimbabwe Under 19 Getty ICC — Zimbabwe Under 19 PIC: Getty Images/ICC

Namibia Under-19 146/8 in 50 overs (Hanro Badenhorst 39*, Gerard Janse van Rensburg 23; Newman Nyamhuri 4-21, Ryan Simbi 3-21)

Zimbabwe Under-19 147/2 in 45.3 overs (Panashe Taruvinga 59, Brandon Sunguro 29; Jack Brassell 1-24, Gerard Janse van Rensburg 1-30)

Zimbabwe Under-19 win by eight wickets

Zimbabwe have reached the next round of the ICC Men’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2024 for the first time in 18 years after beating Namibia by eight wickets in a winner-takes-all Group C match at the Kimberley Oval on Saturday.

The win sees Zimbabwe make it to the next stage for only the fourth time in their history.

Both sides went into the match without wins, and having been dismissed for less than three figures in their opening efforts.

The Zimbabweans won the toss and chose to bowl, hoping to slap a ‘noisy neighbours’ tag to the Namibians.

And they will feel they achieved this objective with a win.

It was rapaciously constructed on the back of a disciplined bowling effort, spearheaded by the brilliance of Newman Nyamhuri’s four wickets for 21 runs and Ryan Simbi snatching an impressive three for 21.

Namibia did not help their cause for long periods, with an astonishing equivalent of 37 overs in dot balls.

Hanro Badenhorst’s unbeaten 39 at the end gave them something to give themselves a fair shot at.

Zimbabwe would have been disappointed by the ninth wicket partnership which took the score from 100 for the loss of eight to that final 146.

In response, Ryan Kamwemba started with a fierce 16 before he was removed leg before wicket off a brutal in-swinging yorker from Jack Brassel.

Panashe Taruvinga and Brandon Sunguro combined for a 101-run partnership, the former a watchful one. Sunguro himself was brisk earlier on but slowed down to make 29 off 72. He departed after he was bowled playing straight for one which turned in a crashed into his middle stump.

Taruvinga scored the winnings with a four to finish on 59.

Campbell Macmillan made a quick 10.

Zimbabwe now focus their attention the Super Six, where they have the daunting task of negotiating South Africa, West indies and England.

But for tonight, the boys will celebrate their win.