NAM vs SA Preview | Namibia seek memorable start at new stadium in first-ever meeting

‌Namibia will hope to mark the inauguration of their new cricket stadium with a memorable outing as they meet superior neighbours South Africa in a one-off T20I on Saturday. The game at Namibia Cricket Stadium in Windhoek will also be the first meeting between both sides in international cricket.

The home side walk into the game after a morale-boosting campaign in the African Regional Qualifiers, which saw them punch their tickets for the 2026 T20 World Cup. Though they lost in the summit clash, Namibia qualified to the marquee event to be held in India and Sri Lanka early next year, along with eventual champions Zimbabwe.

JJ Smit was Namibia’s top-scorer, and third overall, in the qualifiers with a tally of 197 runs in four innings at an impressive average and strike rate of 98.50 and 187.61, respectively. The all-rounder also had a good outing with the ball, picking up six wickets, averaging 11.66 and striking at 13.00. Meanwhile, medium pacer JN Loftie-Eaton finished as the joint-highest wicket-taker with 10 scalps from five games at an astonishing average of 6.40 and a strike rate of 7.80.

However, South Africa enter this clash after failing to get a favourable result in their last three outings in this format. After a narrow loss against New Zealand in the T20 Tri-Series in Zimbabwe, the Proteas lost 2-1 in the three-match series in Australia. They ended on level terms in England after the third and final game was washed off. 

Form Guide

NAM Form: WWWWL

SA Form: WLWLNR

NAM vs SA head-to-head in T20Is

This will be the first meeting between both sides in international cricket. 

Pitch and Conditions

It will be the first international game at this new venue. It is expected to be a flat deck, suiting the requirements of the modern day T20 game, with batters hoping for a truckload of runs.

It will be a partly cloudy and breezy afternoon in Windhoek with temperatures expected to be around 30 degrees. The fans are expected to enjoy uninterrupted action with chances of rain placed at just 25%. 

Team News

Namibia are expected to field the same side that lost to Zimbabwe in the summit clash of the African Regional Qualifiers while Nandre Burger and Gerald Coetzee are expected to start for the Proteas.

NAM Expected XI

Malan Kruger, Jan Frylinck, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Louren Steenkamp, Gerhard Erasmus (c), JJ Smit, Ruben Trumpelmann, Zane Green (wk), Jan Balt, Bernard Scholtz, Ben Shikongo.

SA Expected XI

Quinton de Kock (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Lhuan dre-Pretorius, Donovan Ferreira (c), Jason Smith, Andile Simelane, Nqabayomzi Peter, Bjorn Fortuin, Nandre Burger, Gerald Coetzee, Lizaad Williams.

Broadcasting Platforms 

The NAM vs SA one-off T20I will be digitally streamed on the FanCode app and website in India from 5:30 PM IST on Saturday, with no live telecast of the same.