Zimbabwe chased down 168 with eight balls to spare
Tadiwanashe Marumani named Player of the Match for his unbeaten 74
Bernard Scholtz took two wickets, but Namibia fell short defensively
Zimbabwe Vs Namibia Final, ICC T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier 2025: Marumani Leads From Front As ZIM Clinch Title
Tadiwanashe Marumani anchored Zimbabwe’s chase with a composed 74* off 61 balls as the hosts defeated Namibia by seven wickets at Harare Sports Club to lift the Africa Qualifier title and book their spot at next year’s T20 World Cup
Summary
Zimbabwe capped off their Africa Qualifier campaign in dominant fashion, overcoming Namibia by seven wickets in the final at Harare Sports Club. After winning the toss and opting to bowl, Zimbabwe restricted Namibia to 167/6 in 20 overs, keeping tight control in the slog overs. Namibia’s middle order, led by captain Gerhard Erasmus and all-rounder JJ Smit, offered resistance, but Zimbabwe’s bowlers ensured they stayed within sight of the target.
Chasing 168, Zimbabwe got off to a steady start with Tadiwanashe Marumani anchoring the innings with great maturity. The left-hander played a measured yet fluent knock of 74 not out off 61 deliveries, mixing caution with aggression as he stitched key stands, first with Dion Myers (44 off 33) and later with Ryan Burl (26* off 12). Despite losing Sikandar Raza for a first-ball duck, Zimbabwe’s batting depth came through, as the hosts reached 171/3 in 19.2 overs with calm assurance.
For Namibia, spinner Bernard Scholtz stood out with figures of 2/21 in four overs, while Ben Shikongo took one wicket. However, their bowlers struggled to contain Marumani and Burl’s partnership in the final stretch. With this convincing win, Zimbabwe sealed the regional crown, reaffirming their dominance in African cricket and securing passage to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. Namibia also qualified earlier.
Zimbabwe Vs Namibia, ICC T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier 2025: Toss Update
Zimbabwe have won the toss and opted to bowl first.
Zimbabwe Vs Namibia, ICC T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier 2025: Playing XIs
Zimbabwe Squad: Brian Bennett, Tadiwanashe Marumani(w), Dion Myers, Sikandar Raza(c), Ryan Burl, Tony Munyonga, Tashinga Musekiwa, Brad Evans, Wellington Masakadza, Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani, Clive Madande, Trevor Gwandu, Tinotenda Maposa, Brendan Taylor
Namibia Squad: Jan Frylinck, Malan Kruger, Louren Steenkamp, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Gerhard Erasmus(c), JJ Smit, Ruben Trumpelmann, Zane Green(w), Jan Balt, Bernard Scholtz, Ben Shikongo, Dylan Leicher, Alexander Volschenk, Jack Brassell, Jan de Villiers
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Zimbabwe Vs Namibia, ICC T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier 2025: Ball-By-Ball Commentary
Zimbabwe Vs Namibia, ICC T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier 2025: Live Streaming
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Regional Final 2025 won't be available for telecast on any channels in India. However, one can catch the live streaming of the same on FanCode app and website.
Zimbabwe Vs Namibia, ICC T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier 2025: Squads
Zimbabwe Squad: Brian Bennett, Tadiwanashe Marumani(w), Sikandar Raza(c), Ryan Burl, Tashinga Musekiwa, Tony Munyonga, Dion Myers, Brad Evans, Tinotenda Maposa, Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani, Clive Madande, Trevor Gwandu, Wellington Masakadza, Brendan Taylor
Namibia Squad: Malan Kruger, Jan Frylinck, Louren Steenkamp, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Gerhard Erasmus(c), JJ Smit, Ruben Trumpelmann, Zane Green(w), Jan de Villiers, Ben Shikongo, Jack Brassell, Jan Balt, Alexander Volschenk, Dylan Leicher, Bernard Scholtz
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