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Namibia qualified for the 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup before an 18-year absence from ICC world events. They reached the Super 12’s of the ICC T20 World Cup in 2021 before first round elimination in 2022. They begin this tournament against an Omani side that did not qualify in 2022 after back-to-back first round exits in 2016 and 2021.
DATE/TIME: UK – Monday 3rd June, 2024 – 01:30 / INDIA – Monday 3rd June, 2024 – 06:00 / Pakistan – Monday 3rd
June, 2024 – 06:00 / Bangladesh – Monday 3rd June, 2024 – 06:30 / West Indies – Sunday 2nd June, 2024 – 19:30 / Australia – Monday 3rd
June, 2024 – 10:30 / South Africa – Monday 3rd June, 2024 – 02:30 / US EST – Sunday 2nd June, 2024 – 20:30 / US PST – Sunday 2nd
June, 2024 -18:30
VENUE: Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados
WEATHER: It is expected to be heavy rain throughout the day in Barbados and on the evening of Sunday 2nd June, it is only forecasted to remain heavy with thunder and lightning earlier on before the start.
HOW TO WATCH ON TV: This match will be shown live on Sky Sports in the UK, Star Sports in India and Disney Star in Bangladesh, Willow in the United States, PTV Sports and Ten Sports in Pakistan, ESPN Caribbean in the West Indies and SuperSport in South Africa. It will not be televised live in Australia, though.
HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: This match will be streamed live via Sky Sports on the Sky Go app in the UK, Disney+Hotstar website in both India and Bangladesh, Willow TV’s website in the United States, Myco and Tamasha in Pakistan, ESPN Play Caribbean’s app in the West Indies, SuperSport’s app in South Africa and Amazon Prime Video in Australia.
NAMIBIA
FORM: CONTINUING THE RISE
With Pierre de Bruyn as their coach, Namibia are playing in a third successive T20 World Cup and they will be confident of springing a few surprises like they did to reach the Super 12’s back in 2021. The Namibians, like a lot of associate sides, have been able to get some former internationals to switch allegiances to them and that is the case with Namibia’s star all-rounder, former South Africa international David Wiese.
Wiese, now 38, is the star of a genuinely well balanced side, in terms of both age and options, with Gerhard Erasmus once again skippering with JJ Smit as vice-captain and the exciting left-arm pace of Ruben Trumpelmann one to always keep an eye on. They come into this one on the back of being thumped by Australia in Thailand in midweek, managing to score just 119-9 and then giving up that lead in exactly ten overs.
LAST FIVE: LWWWL
OMAN
FORM: RE-ESTABLISHING THEMSELVES
Oman, coming out of the middle east, were an emerging force of the associate sides at times in the last decade or so but have dropped off a fair bit. They do, though, come into this one still with some pedigree about them with Duleep Mendis coaching a side that still has Aqib Ilyas, who is now captain, as well as the experienced heads of Mehran Khan, Zeeshan Maqsood, Fayyaz Butt and Kaleemullah.
Oman come into the tournament on the back of a wash out in midweek in their final warm-up ahead of the tournament against Afghanistan with no result manageable. They did get their entire batting innings in, though, and scored 154-3 against a strong Afghan attack. The aforementioned Ilyas starring with 66 runs coming from 48 balls. Prior to that, they had recently finished as runners’ up in the ACC T20 Premier Cup to the United Arab Emirates in April.
LAST FIVE: WLWWW
NAMIBIA BETTING ANALYSIS
As mentioned, if Namibia do decide to select Ruben Trumpelmann from the start in this tournament then his pace and the angle of his delivery could be key. Oman showed a very composed and calm way of dealing with spin against Afghanistan the other day but associates facing up to accurate left-arm pace is not as common and backing Trumpelmann to be Namibia’s best bowler in the match would seem a smart play.
OMAN BETTING ANALYSIS
Oman, despite playing well against Afghanistan, did go slowly to creep up and above 150 with seven wickets in hand, albeit on a slow pitch. Now they have to face the aforementioned Trumpelmann as well as the likes of Wiese, Jan Frylinck, Bernard Scholtz and Tangeni Lungameni, though, with Lungameni, Wiese, Frylinck and Trumpelmann all offering different skillsets to the Afghan bowlers. Given that, going unders on an Omani score would seem sensible.
NAMIBIA VS OMAN EXPERT PREDICTION
This one would appear quite even at first glance but the performances of the two sides in recent years and the different directions in which they are trending would suggest Namibia are favourites. It is a must win game for both, though, as they are in a group with two of the favourites in England and Australia so backing Namibia is the way to go in what is already a high pressure encounter early on in the tournament.
NAMIBIA
VS OMAN TIP:
NAMIBIA TO WIN