Eagles thrash Karnataka
Namibian bowlers put under pressure
A solid batting performance by Namibia ensured excellent cricket, with 184 runs coming from boundary shots.
Karnataka, the visiting provincial cricket team from India, scored 360 runs for the loss of four wickets in 50 overs against the Richelieu Eagles at United in Windhoek on a tame batting pitch yesterday.The Eagle bowlers were put under immense pressure by Karnataka. Chethan Revanna (169 runs, 147 balls, 13x4, 8x6, bowled Gerhard Erasmus, caught Jan Frylinck), Nikin Jose (103, 109 b, 5x4, 2x6, bowled Frylinck, caught Erasmus), and Siddharth Venkatesh (59, 27 b, 1x4, 6x6, not out) did the most damage. Karnataka hit 22 fours and 16 sixes for 184 runs.
At 184/2 with 20 overs remaining, it looked like the Eagles had enough batting power to post 361 for victory. But they had to score 177 at 8.85 runs per inning.
Hard work
The opening batsmen, Niko Davin (70, 62 b, 10x4, 2x6, bowled Shubhang Hegde) and Stephen Baard (57, 68 b, 5x4, bowled Samarth R, caught Revanna), laid a solid foundation for the rest of Namibia's batsmen (146/2).
Michael van Lingen (104, 85 b, 7x4, 5x6) and Erasmus (91, 67 b, 8x4, 2x6, bowled Vyshak Kumar, caught Venkatesh) did not back down from the challenge and kept the scoreboard on fire with fiery batting.
Van Lingen's brilliant 100 appeared on the scoreboard after 79 deliveries. The duo scored 88 in 10 at 8.8, but Erasmus was caught out in the 47th over with 334/3 on the scoreboard.
Bernard Scholtz was Namibia's most frugal bowler with 0/46 in 10 overs. Karl Birkenstock (1/63 in 10) bowled two empty innings, while Ben Shikongo (1/87 in 9), Frylinck (1/82 in 10), and Erasmus (1/13 in 4) worked hard. The Eagles bowled 110 dot balls (18.2 overs), but no runs were scored.
Karnataka bowled 120 dot balls, but the Eagles' 31 fours and 10 sixes were crucial. Kaverappa (1/66 in 10), Hegde (1/61 in 10), Vyshak Kumar (1/78 in 10), and Samarth (1/32 in 5) took wickets for the visitors.
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