NAM Vs NZ, T20 World Cup 2021: New Zealand Humble Namibia, Inch Closer To Semis

India wanted Namibia to upset New Zealand, but it didn't happen. Kiwis dished out a not so clinical, but good enough performance to beat the Eagles in their Super 12 match of ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021 in Sharjah, UAE on Friday. The win helped Kane Williamson & Co move to second position in Group 2, and they face Afghanistan in their final league match -- with the winners, most likely to make the last-four along with Pakistan. Namibia won the toss and opted to bowl first. Kiwis struggled to score but initially, but an unbeaten 76-run stand for the fifth wicket in 36 balls from Glenn Phillips (39 in 21) and James Neesham (35 in 23) ensured that the Kiwis post a total of 163/4. Then, bowlers restricted the Associate team to 111/7 to register a 52-run win. Tim Southee and Trent Boult took a couple of wickets each. Catch highlights of NZ vs NAM, T20 World Cup match here:

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6:50 PM IST: Result

Adam Milne with the final over. Five runs, including a four off the second. His figures: 0/25. New Zealand win by 52 runs, and they are now second in Group 2. NAM - 111/7 (20); NZ - 163/4 (20)

6:46 PM IST: 58 In 6

Trent Boult with the penultimate over. Gets his second wicket. Craig Williams (0 off 2), caught by Glenn Phillips at backward point. Ruben Trumpelmann is the next batter. Four runs from the over. Boult's figures: 2/20. Namibia need 58 runs in 6 balls. NAM - 106/7 (19)

6:38 PM IST: 62 In 12

Tim Southee with his final over. Six from it, including a four off the fourth, then a wicket. That of Zane Green, caught by Trent Boult at long on. Green goes for 23 off 27. Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton is the new man. Southee's figures: 2/15. Namibia need 62 runs in 12 balls. NAM - 102/5 (18)

6:33 PM IST: 68 In 18

Trent Boult with his third over. Four from it. 28 runs and one wicket in the last 30 balls. Namibia need 68 runs in 18 balls. NAM - 96/4 (17)

6:22 PM IST: Big Wicket

Tim Southee returns for his third over. A dot to Zane Green, then a single. Southee traps David Wiese in front with the third ball. No review taken, wisely. Looks plumb. He goes for 16 off 17. JJ Smit is the new man. NAM - 86/4 (14.4)

6:11 PM IST: 96 In 48

Ish Sodhi is fine and continues. Five from the over. 23 runs and three wickets in the last five overs. Namibia need 96 runs in 48 balls. NAM - 68/3 (12)

6:08 PM IST: Interruption

Ish Sodhi takes a hit. David Wiese hits back the first ball of 12th over and Sodhi cops it on the forehead.

5:58 PM IST: Three Down

Bowling change. And Ish Sodhi strikes with his second ball. Gerhard Erasmus nicks one. Devon Conway takes a clean catch. Namibia skipper goes for 3 off 4. 37 runs and three wickets in the last 30 balls. NAM - 55/3 (9.2).

5:53 PM IST: Two Down

Mitchell Santner on with his second over. Wicket with the first ball. Stephan Baard (221 off 22), bowled. Both openers gone. Both bowled. NAM - 51/2 (8.1)

5:49 PM IST: First Wicket

James Neesham gets his first over and he strikes with second ball. Michael van Lingen (25 off 25), bowled. Gerhard Erasmus joins Stephan Baard. NAM - 47/1 (7.2)

5:43 PM IST: Big Over

Adam Milne with his second over. Michael van Lingen hits the third ball for a four, through mid-off. Then a six off the fifth over long-on. 12 from the over. NAM - 36/0 (6)

5:37 PM IST: Baard At Work

Trent Boult with his second over. Stephan Baard hits the fourth ball for a four, one bounce to mid-wicket boundary. Seven from the over. NAM - 24/0 (5)

5:30 PM IST: Cautious Start

Adam Milne with his first over. Four from it, with a double and two singles. Before that, Trent Bould conceded five from his first over. NAM - 15/0 (3)

5:20 PM IST: Chase Begins

Tim Southee with the first over. Stephan Baard takes strike. A dot, then a single to rotate to strike. A dot to Michael van Lingen, then a single, A dot, then a four to third man. Edge. Six from the over. Target for Namibia - 164 runs.

5:07 PM IST: Innings Break

JJ Smit with the last over. A dot, then James Neesham hits next for a six, a short ball bouncer, to deep mid-wicket boundary for a six. 150 up for the Kiwis. A misfield from Erasmus at mid-wicket and a double. A wide. Harsh call. Same line, and call a wide after some delay. Neesham also bemused. A single, then a dot. Gleen Phillips plays the fifth to deep midwicket for a double. He changes the stand for a switch hit. He misses but a quick bye. And it's called a wide. Some rules. Then, another wide. This one a pure wide. A very long over. A double to backward point to end the over. 18 from it. A 76-run stand for the fifth wicket in 36 balls for Glenn Phillips (39 in 21) and James Neesham (35 in 23). 73 runs in the last five. 53 in the last three. NZ - 163/4

4:57 PM IST: 49 In 3 Overs

Ruben Trumpelmann with the penultimate over. Glenn Phillips hits the first for a four to deep square leg. Then a six, over square leg boundary. And fifty-run stand with James Neesham. 14 from the over. 49 in the last three overs. NZ - 145/4 (19)

4:52 PM IST: 35 In 2 Overs

David Wiese on with his final over. Glenn Phillips launches the third ball for a six, over cover. His second. James Neesham then gets his first, over long-on. And a four to third man to end the over. 21 from it. Wiese' figures: 1/40. 49 runs in the last five. 35 in the last five. Party spoilers. In the previous over, skipper Gerhard Erasmus completed his spell for figures of 1/22. He conceded 16, including a six off the second ball, hit by Glenn Phillips. NZ - 131/4 (18)

4:42 PM IST: Eagles In Control

David Wiese returns for his third over. Five from it -- three singles and a double. 19 runs and two wickets in the last five overs as Namibia keep the Kiwis in check. In fact, the Eagles may end up doing India a favour... if they can convert this good start to a win. NZ - 96/4 (16)

4:34 PM IST: Run Out

Great throw from Karl Birkenstock to send Devon Conway (17 off 18) back. Glenn Phillips flicks the last ball of the over to midwicket and Birkenstock returns it in no time and Gerhard Erasmus completes the rite. Four runs from Erasmus' third over. James Neesham is the new man. NZ - 87/4 (14)

4:25 PM IST: Williamson Goes

Gerhard Erasmus returns for his second over, and gets the wicket of Kane Williamson. Played on. New Zealand skipper goes for 28 off 25. Glenn Phillips is the new man for the Kiwis. NZ - 81/3 (12.1)

4:23 PM IST: Little Stand

Kane Williamson and Devon Conway in a 38-run stand from 34 balls. Karl Birkenstock concedes four singles in his first over. In the previous over, Loftie-Eaton to Williamson leaked 15, including a six and four off the last two balls, hit by Williamson. NZ - 81/2 (12)

4:14 PM IST: Drinks

Captain Gerhard Erasmus with his first over. Three singles. Bernard Scholtz conceded four in the previous over. 26 runs in the last 30 balls for New Zealand. NZ - 62/2 (10)

4:02 PM IST: Two Down

Bernard Scholtz returns for his second over. He gets the wicket of Daryl Mitchell (19 off 15). A leading-edge, caught by Michael van Lingen at cover. Devon Conway joins Kane Williamson in the middle. Three runs from the over. In the previous over, Ruben Trumpelmann conceded seven runs, including a four, hit by Mitchell off the fourth. NZ - 46/2 (7)

3:49 PM IST: Guptill Goes

David Wiese on with his second over. And he gets the first wicket. Martin Guptill (18 off 18), caught by Rubem Trumpelmann at mid-off. Kane Williamson is the new man. NZ - 30/1 (4.1)

:44 PM IST: Bowling Changes

Bowling change from both ends. David Wiese with the third, and he concedes eight runs -- a three and five singles. In the previous over, Martin Guptill hits Ruben Trumpelmann for a four off the fourth. And five dots. NZ - 21/0 (3)

3:34 PM IST: Guptill Six

Bernard Scholtz with the first over. Martin Guptill hits the fourth ball for a six, over long on. Nine from the over. Daryl Mitchell is Guptill's opening partner.

3:09 PM IST: Playing XIs

"Two forced changes for us," says Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus. Karl Birkenstock and Bernard Scholtz in for Jan Frylinck and Ben Shikongo. New Zealand are unchanged from their win XI which defeated Scotland.

New Zealand: Martin Guptill, Daryl Mitchell, Kane Williamson (c), Devon Conway (wk), Glenn Phillips, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Adam Milne, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult.

Namibia: Stephan Baard, Craig Williams, Gerhard Erasmus (c), David Wiese, JJ Smit, Zane Green (wk), Michael van Lingen, Karl Birkenstock, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Ruben Trumpelmann, Bernard Scholtz.

3:03 PM IST: Toss

Namibia win the toss and opt to bowl first against New Zealand.

Squads

New Zealand: Kane Williamson (c), Martin Guptill, Daryl Mitchell, Devon Conway, Tim Seifert (wk), James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Mark Chapman, Adam Milne, Kyle Jamieson, Todd Astle.

Namibia: Gerhard Erasmus (c), Stephan Baard, JJ Smit, Karl Birkenstock, Jan Frylinck, Ben Shikongo, Bernard Scholtz, Craig Williams, Michael van Lingen, Ruben Trumpelmann, Zane Green, David Wiese, Pikky Ya France, Michau du Preez, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton.