Namibia’s heroics with bat and ball in the Super Over helped them win in a low-scoring thrilling contest at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados, to kick off their T20 World Cup campaign.Oman’s comeback in the last overs was in vain.
After smashing thirteen in the Super Over and returning to bowl, taking a wicket, and defending twenty-one runs, Wiese became the unsung hero for Namibia with both bat and ball. Namibia did not have it easy, though, as the match ended in a draw, the first Super Over in a men’s T20 World Cup competition since 2012. Namibia had bowled out Oman for 109 in 20 overs.
The all-round player’s exceptional performance earned him the Player of the Match honor. Wiese said he “aged a couple of years” older and that the evening had been emotionally taxing following the exciting Super Over match.
With a sensational victory that highlighted the drama and thrill of T20 cricket on a global scale, Wiese showed poise under duress.
“Aged a couple of years tonight. Don’t have a lot of years left in me (laughs). Emotionally draining evening. It helped that I had a feel of the game and knew if I get a few hits out in the Super Over …. then with the ball, felt like taking the ball and executing,” Wiese said in a post-match presentation.
The 39-year-old all-rounder said that the pitch was two-paced and that hitters needed to wait a bit before launching themselves at bowlers.
“Pitch was difficult, didn’t play the way we thought. But we adapted well. It was two-paced, it was a difficult wicket to get yourself in. Definitely one you needed to spend a bit of time before capitalising,” he added.
The fact that his players let Oman back into the match after dismissing them for a low target also disappointed Wiese.
Talking about the target he said, “Difficult to gauge a good target because if you’re chasing 180 then you’re playing differently. But when you let them bowl the way they did, you bring them back into the game. Lots of learnings from this game.”
(With ANI inputs)
