Namibia took on the United States of America (USA) in the first match of the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier Play-off 2023 at Wanderers Cricket Ground in Windhoek.
After winning the toss, Namibia elected to bowl. Batting first, the USA managed to score 233 runs for the loss of 9 wickets in their allotted 50 overs. Gajanand Singh top-scored for the USA with 53 runs off 63 deliveries, including 5 fours and 1 six. Jasdeep Singh (33 runs) and Nosthush Kenjige (43 runs) also made valuable contributions with the bat. Among the Namibian bowlers, Ben Shikongo and Shaun Fouché picked up 3 wickets each, while Ruben Trumpelmann took 2 wickets.
Chasing the target of 234 runs, Namibia got off to a poor start, losing two wickets in the first over. They never really recovered from that and were eventually bowled out for 151 runs in 41.4 overs, losing the match by 82 runs. Shaun Fouché was the highest scorer for Namibia with 53 runs off 96 deliveries, while Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton (38 runs) also made a decent contribution. Among the USA bowlers, Ali Khan was the pick of the lot, picking up 3 wickets for just 21 runs in his 7 overs. Nisarg Patel also picked up 3 wickets.
Overall, it was a convincing win for the USA, who dominated both with the bat and ball. Gajanand was declared the player of the match for his half-century.
