In the second ODI between Namibia and Karnataka, the former registered a confidence-boosting five-wicket win at the Wanderers Cricket Ground in Windhoek and gained parity in the five-match series. Chasing a monumental target of 361 runs, Namibia's batting line-up came out firing on all cylinders and took Karnataka's bowling attack to the cleaners. With nothing to lose mindset, Namibia chased down the target in the last over of the match, and with one ball to spare. As a result, the series is now tied at 1-1.
Namibia's openers Stephan Baard (57 runs off 68 balls) and Nikolaas Davin (70 runs off 62 balls) combined for a 119-run stand in 20 overs to hand their side a perfect start. With the platform set and launchpad ready, Michael van Lingen capitalised on the solid start given by the openers and stroked a masterful century. The left-handed batter found an able ally in captain Gerhard Erasmus as the duo combined for a match-winning partnership of 188 runs for the third wicket.
Van Lingen scored 104 runs off 85 balls with the help of seven fours and five sixes while Erasmus played a blistering knock of 91 runs off 67 balls with the help of eight fours and two sixes. With the top four batters each scoring at least a half-century, Namibia sailed to the promised land.
For Karnataka, Vidhwath Kaverappa, Vijaykumar Vyshakand and captain Ravikumar Samarth bagged one wicket each. All the six bowlers used by Karnataka conceded runs in excess of six runs per over.
Chethan, Jose score contrasting centuries
Earlier, Namibia won the toss and elected to bowl first and dismissed Karnataka skipper Samarth (five runs off four balls) cheaply. LR Chethan and Nikin Jose combined for a 258-run partnership for the second wicket as both batters went on to score a century. Chethan played an innings of 169 runs in 147 balls with the help of 13 fours and eight sixes while Jose scored 103 runs off 109 balls with the help of five fours and two sixes.
Krishnamurthy Siddharth played a thunderous cameo of 59 runs off just 27 balls. During his knock, Siddharth smashed six sixes and one four that pushed Karnataka's total to 360/4 in 50 overs.
For Namibia, Karl Birkenstock, Jan Frylinck and Erasmus bagged a wicket each.
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