Ireland took a 1-0 lead in their five-match ODI series against Namibia, securing a 55-run victory in Windhoek. After setting a total of 229/9 built on Paul Stirling’s half-century, the Irish bowling attack skittled the hosts out for 174 despite a late fifty from Ruben Trumpelmann.
Opting to field first, Namibia failed to early break through as Stirling and Andrew Balbirnie forged a 70-run opening stand. Ireland reached 56/0 in the opening 10 overs before Bernard Scholtz removed Balbirnie for 20 in the 13th over. Stirling went on to make a 71-ball 56 before falling to Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, leaving the visitors at 95/2 in the 21st over. Reaching 56/0 after 10 overs, ireland made a steady start after Namibia elected to bowl.
Cade Carmichael and Harry Tector steadied the innings against a tightening spin attack. Loftie-Eaton caught Tector for 28 in the 33rd over to end their partnership. Scoring slowed significantly on a low, sluggish surface, with Ireland adding just 59 runs between the 26th and 40th overs to sit at 175/3. Carmichael made a patient 45 off 80 balls, while Lorcan Tucker added 28. Despite losing six wickets and scoring 54 runs in the final 10 overs, Ireland reached 229/9. Loftie-Eaton led the home bowling with 4-36, supported by JJ Smit’s two wickets. Though scoring slowed as the pitch became slower and deliveries began to keep low, carmichael continued to anchor the innings.
Namibia’s chase began with a 48-run opening partnership between Michael van Lingen (23) and Louren Steenkamp (26). However, both openers fell in successive overs to Jai Moondra and Gavin Hoey, respectively. Hoey then removed Jan Frylinck for nine, leaving Namibia at 68/3 in the 13th over. Curtis Campher bowled Zane Green, and Loftie-Eaton was run out for nine after a mix-up. However, triggered a slide, their dismissals.
Gerhard Erasmus hit Hoey for six before being trapped lbw by George Dockrell for 22. Dockrell then removed Smit, reducing the hosts to 110/7 in the 25th over. Trumpelmann launched a counter-attack, hitting three sixes off Andy McBrine and Dockrell. Waldo Smith top-edged Hoey to fall for a duck, and Moondra bowled Scholtz to leave Namibia nine down. Trumpelmann reached a 42-ball fifty with back-to-back boundaries off Liam McCarthy, but was dismissed shortly after to end the match. Hoey finished with 3-29, while Moondra and Dockrell claimed two wickets each. Becoming Dockrell’s second wicket to leave Namibia reeling at 110/7 in the 25th over, smit followed soon after.
Brief Scores: Ireland 229/9 in 50 overs (Paul Stirling 56, Cade Carmichael 45; Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton 4-36) beat Namibia 174 in 37.5 overs (Ruben Trumpelmann 50, Louren Steenkamp 26; Gavin Hoey 3-29) by 55 runs.
