Irish bowled over as Namibia well in control
Peter Connell led a fight back with four wickets to limit the first- innings deficit to 50 but any chance of Ireland retaining the title won so magnificently here at the Wanderers Club in 2005 and defended last year, now rest on setting the home side a big enough target today.
The visiting side will resume this morning with an overall lead of 27 and only five wickets remaining, and it will take a turn around as mighty as that in the final against Kenya three years ago if they are to write another famous chapter.
Cricket can be a strange old game and just how 25 wickets fell in the first three sessions of what should have been a four-day match will remain a mystery to those who watched a succession of batsmen fail on a pitch that offered no more than a little help to the seam bowlers.
Ireland were put into bat and, after weathering the initial overs, contrived to lose their best three batsmen in six deliveries: openers William Porterfield and Niall O’Brien both caught at second slip and Andre Botha bowled offering no shot.
Kevin O’Brien also had his castle disturbed before Andrew White raised Irish hopes with a six over long leg on his way to a top score of 19. Unfortunately White and Trent Johnston both got themselves out, the former chasing a wide ball and the latter pulling rashly to mid-on.
Ireland took luncheon on 64 for eight and lasted only nine balls of the afternoon session before Louis Klazanga had Connell held behind to wrap up the innings and return figures of four for 11.
A first-innings lead would have ensured Ireland’s final qualifying match against Kenya next weekend would not be a dead rubber and Porterfield’s side came remarkably close to achieving it.
Connell and Boyd Rankin claimed the first five wickets between them, Johnston got in on the act and when Botha had Gerrie Snyman caught with his first delivery, the Africans were 37 for seven and looking for a paddle.
An eighth-wicket partnership of 32 drew them level though and with the tail wagging infuriatingly after tea a lead that should have been no more than a dozen or so stretched to the half-century.
When Ireland batted again, Niall O’Brien was immediately caught pulling but perhaps the deciding moment of the match came when Botha called for a sharp single to mid-off and was run out just as he was getting into his stride.
A target of 160 could test Namibia today but Ireland will have to bat with far more application than they showed on the first day to get anywhere near that.
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