Namibia gave a brilliant all round performance to take a commanding lead after the first day of their three-day SAA Challenge match against Western Province in Cape Town on Thursday.
With Louis Klazinga and Craig Williams in great form with the ball, Namibia skittled WP out for 70 runs in their first innings. Namibia’s batsmen then came to the party with some big contributions and at stumps Namibia had reached 248/4 for a lead of 178 runs with six first innings wickets still remaining.
Namibia sent WP in to bat and that decision soon paid off as Klazinga dismissed Travis Townsend for a duck and Yaseen Vallie for 5 to leave the hosts struggling at 6/2.
WP could not recover and with Christi Viljoen and Craig Williams also getting amongst the wickets they crashed to 25/5.
Romano Ramoo offered brief resistance but when Williams dismissed him for 18, Province’s resistance crumbled as they collapsed to 70 all out in 33 overs.
Klazinga, who took 4/19 off 13 overs and Williams (4/30 off nine overs) were Namibia’s best bowlers.
Namibia lost the wicket of Willem Groenewald early for 4 and when Sarel Burger was run out for 10 and Raymond van Schoor dismissed for 36, Namibia had reached 59/3.
From then on Ewald Steenkamp and Craig Williams took control of the bowling to put Namibia in charge with a 64-run partnership before Williams was dismissed for 36.
Nicolaas Scholtz however joined Steenkamp to add 123 runs in an unbroken fifth wicket stand of 125 runs. At stumps Steenkamp was not out on 89 (9x4. 1x6) and Scholtz was not out on 60 (5x4).