New Delhi, February 10 The Netherlands produced a disciplined and effective bowling performance to restrict Namibia to a modest 156 for 8 in a Group A T20 World Cup match between the associate nations here on Tuesday, despite a spirited recovery by the African side in the middle overs.
This was Namibia's first outing of the tournament, and it showed in patches. Having had limited match time recently, with their last T20I being a last-ball win over South Africa in October 2025, they took time to find their rhythm.
With no Indian team involved, the stands were sparsely populated, but the quality of the cricket on display was high. Jan Frynlick (30) and Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton (42) revived the innings with their steady 50-run partnership after an early setback.
The Dutch set the tone early. Pacer Logan van Beek (2/13) bowled with aggression from the start, while off-spinner Aryan Dutt (1/13) bowled a probing and economical spell that stifled the scoring.
Dutt provided the first breakthrough when he lured Nikolaas Davin Steenkamp (6) down the track. Steenkamp stepped forward to try and negate the spin, but completely missed the line and length, allowing Scott Edwards to complete a sharp stumping.
The Netherlands largely controlled the powerplay, conceding only 29 runs in the first five overs. Namibia managed only one maximum in that phase, with Frylinck briefly breaking the shackles by pulling Klaassen for six.
Seeing the impact Dutt was making, Dutch captain Edwards introduced Colin Ackermann, but the off-spinner was handled confidently. Loftie-Eaton (40) hammered him straight down the ground for six, while Frylinck followed up with a crisp cover drive for four.
The pair added a valuable 50-run stand, but with runs still at a premium, van Beek returned to break it, inducing Frylinck to edge behind.
Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus, who was fresh at the crease, then provided the spark the innings needed. He unfurled a fluent display against Tim van der Gugten, scoring 16 runs from one over to push Namibia past 100 in the 13th.
Edwards responded with smart captaincy, rotating his bowlers, mixing pace and spin, and using as many as eight bowling options to prevent momentum from building.
The Netherlands needed Loftie-Eaton to bat deep, and van Beek delivered again, removing the set batter to redeem himself after his expensive penultimate over against Pakistan earlier in the tournament.
JJ Smit (22) briefly threatened a late surge, lofting Roelof van der Merwe for back-to-back sixes, but Bas de Leede cut short the cameo, clipping the bail with a quicker delivery. Without a final flourish, Namibia were forced to settle for a below-par total, one that the Netherlands will back themselves to chase.