• Cricket

Excitement builds for Over-50 Africa Cup series

• 1 Week Ago 11 November 2024

Sparks are expected to fly as Namibia hosts South Africa and Zimbabwe at the Over-50's Africa Cup 2024 series, happening from 17 to 21 November in Windhoek.

“There are a couple of big names coming to compete. These are players who have stood the test of time in cricket, and it will be a unique opportunity and experience to see them in action. I hope Team Namibia can deliver the performances that their ambition holds for them in this series,” said Cricket Namibia CEO Johan Muller.

According to Muller, there isn’t enough international cricket taking place on home soil. “Cricket Namibia wants to host these types of games and bring top-notch cricket to the country because we are capable of doing so. It is something we've been working towards and have succeeded in with our women’s, men’s international, and Under-19 teams.”

Steady Progress

He highlighted that the Over-50's concept only started three years ago in Namibia. “The first year they participated in the World Cup was very tough. Their competitors play cricket regularly, have a large player base, and for them, it's still a professional sport. It’s quite popular in prominent cricket-playing countries.”

Muller commended the Over-50's team for their hard work over the past two years. “They’ve established a committee to oversee veterans' cricket, grown their player base, played actively as a team in our club leagues, and appointed both a coach and a conditioning coach. We’ve seen some good results from them over the past six months.”

He added that South Africa and Zimbabwe are strong opponents. “This series will serve as a benchmark for our Over-50’s cricket team as they prepare for the World Cup in Sri Lanka next year. We hosted South Africa and Zimbabwe two years ago in a tri-series, and they brought through some exceptional cricket players.”

Bring It On

Confident Namibian Over-50’s all-rounder (with a preference for bowling), Ken Joseph, says the team is eager to win and believes they have a good chance. “South Africa and Zimbabwe will both be tough, but we have capable players, and if we play to our strengths, we can surprise them.”

Joseph cherishes his man-of-the-match performance against Pakistan at the last Over-50’s World Cup in South Africa. “I batted, bowled, and fielded well in Cape Town. Before that, I scored Namibia’s first and only 50 in the 2021 edition of the Africa Cup.”

He said preparations for the series have gone excellently. “The guys have been training for eight months and have been completely dedicated. Our bowling strength is solid, and our batting has improved. In recent warm-up league games, our top six batters scored well, and we’re hoping for consistency.”

As a retired engineer, Joseph recalls South Africa as the toughest team he has played against. “They fielded a few former Test players, like fast bowler Alan Dawson and batsman Louis Koen. He hit me for three consecutive fours in the first over I bowled to him. I bounced him with my fourth delivery and hit him on the shoulder to settle the score.”

Spin Attack

Batsman Pierce L’Estrange, who says South African Alan Dawson is the toughest bowler he has faced, anticipates more of a spin-heavy attack from South Africa this time. “I think they’re preparing for Sri Lanka and will likely include more spinners than pace and seam bowlers. Tyron Henderson, who played in the IPL, is still going strong. Zimbabwe will also be strong competition, with batter Murray Goodwin, who still plays A-grade cricket in Australia and was the top scorer at the World Cup in Cape Town.”

L’Estrange, who finished as the top scorer for the Namibian team at the World Cup in South Africa, said the Namibian players now have a much clearer sense of their roles and responsibilities, with an influx of new players.

“We’re always playing catch-up in Namibia compared to South Africa and England. Surrey Cricket Club, for example, has more Over-50 players in one club than we have in the whole country. However, Namibia consistently punches above its weight in terms of talent depth. This time we have home-ground advantage and knowledge of how the United and Wanderers pitches play, which will be a big asset.”

He also welcomed the extensive coverage that Sport Wrap will provide for the series. “At the World Cup in South Africa, we only had one camera on a pitch. The setup here in Namibia will be far superior, elevating the overall experience. The South Africans were surprised when they heard about the live broadcast setup.”

Cricket enthusiasts unable to attend can follow NTV’s live broadcast of every game at https://oneuptwo.com, DStv (channel 285), and GOtv (channel 25).